Good Times, Bad Times
by FeralElektra
Summary: The Winchesters meet a hunter on a job who proves to be an ally. But she has secrets that rival even Dean's. Can they overcome these secrets? Can she save Dean's soul? Dean/OC. Runs along season 3 and 4. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**This fic will run alongside season 3 and 4 of Supernatural with the additions of a character or two and subplots. This particular chapter is set between episodes 2 and 3 of season 3. I admit that I have a lot written already for this, when i say a lot...well i've been writing it for almost a year. **

**Disclaimer: anyone that isn't in Supernatural is a character from my imagination. Unfortunately Dean isn't mine and nor are the rest of the Supernatural cast.**

**Any feedback (good or bad) will be appreciated.  
**

* * *

The two Winchesters set up camp at the Cooper's factory. They were in the middle of doing a job. A ghost had turned to stalking a model- unfortunately for Dean's imagination it was a plus sized model. The factory had closed down two years ago, but nobody had cleaned it since. Sam had just completed the summoning spell they necessary for summoning Marie Baker. They heard footsteps. They looked at each other and peeked over the side of the crate they were behind. Ghosts shouldn't have footsteps, they both thought. They saw movement and pointed their shotguns at it.

"Don't shoot!" A feminine voice shouted as two guns were trained on her over the rim of waist high crate. Sam and Dean looked at each other in confusion. The factory should have been empty; they had made sure of it before they set their traps.

"Ghost?" Dean whispered.

"Do ghosts usually ask not to be shot?" Sam replied.

"Good point," he agreed. "So, demon?" They both looked back at the intruder as if they could tell just by looking at her.

"I'm not a demon," she called over. Sam pulled a face at Dean, this girl knew about demons?

"That's what they all say," Dean shouted back.

"I got an idea," Sam whispered. He raised his head slightly and called over to the girl. "Hey, walk towards us, in a straight line."

"That sounds more like a test to see if I'm drunk," she commented. "Which I'm not by the way," but she did as she was told and walked straight towards them, over a pile of old fabric, a discarded wooden board and some empty bottles. "So what was the point of that?"

"Devil's trap," Sam said, pointing towards the wooden board.

"A what?" she replied.

"Long story," Dean interjected before Sam started explaining. "Why are you here?"

"Same as you I'd guess."

"I doubt it."

"So you boys aren't hunting the ghost of Marie Baker?" The boys looked at each other again. She pulled out the gun she had hidden in the back of her jeans and showed them it. "Now can you lower your guns?" Dean glanced at his shotgun, he had forgotten he had it pointed at her. He lowered it and raised an eyebrow at her pistol.

"You do know a gun will just piss the ghost off?"

"Yeah I do, but rock salt? It's all good." They looked at her in confusion. "My uncle found a way to cover the bullets in rock salt. Half bullet, half rock salt. Same affect as yours, but more practical." Sam looked intrigued.

"How? I mean that's amazing-"

"All right, Sammy. That can wait," Dean interrupted before Sam could really start. "Ghost, remember?"

"So you're Sam," the girl stated looking at Sam. "What does that make you?"

"Dean," he said shortly.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Serena. Now if you two could just leave and let me sort out this ghost…"

"I don't think so," Dean smirked. "We were here first."

"What, you're still in high school?"

"Dean, it's here," Sam shouted and raised his gun to a point behind Serena. Dean mimicked him while Serena automatically rolled to the side and raised her gun in the same direction.

"Ok, keep it busy Sammy, I'm gonna find the hand," Dean stated, referring to the piece of Marie's body that was not cremated.

"I'll go with you," Serena announced. She stood up and started away from the crate they were standing near. Sam nodded and walked towards the ghost.

"Hurry up," he said, knowing it would be time spent being beaten up by the ghost. But better that than the intended victim. Dean glared at him for letting Serena go with him, but nodded.

"Good luck bro," he said before pulling his bag onto his shoulders and catching up with Serena.

"Uh, Marie, over here," Sam called, trying to get the ghost's attention and braced himself for the violence.

* * *

"So, any idea where she'll be," Serena asked, she stood a few metres away from Dean, using a flashlight to help her see into the shadows. Dean mirrored her on the other side of the office they were in. He pulled out his EMF reader and switched it on. He scanned the room and headed towards the point where the EMF reader went wild.

"Over there," Dean replied. Serena rolled her eyes but hurried towards Dean.

"Cheat," she commented. There was nothing that looked suspicious, all that was there was a filing cabinet with a bin next to it and a framed map on the wall.

"I don't suppose the remains will be in the bin?" she asked lightly.

"Be my guest," Dean said, indicating for her to look through it. "I don't think anyone's emptied it for at least a year." Serena scrunched up her face but knelt down to look into it. Dean watched her for a moment then turned to the filing cabinet. He scanned it and realised nothing supernatural was in there. He glanced at the map and moved it aside. Just as he had thought, there was a safe hidden behind it.

"You couldn't have scanned the bin?" Serena complained, wiping her hands on her jeans. "There was a rotten banana in there." She saw the safe and groaned.

"How are we gonna get in there?"

"Well," Dean started. He pointed his shotgun at the safe and fired. It hit the dial and blasted through it. "I so didn't think that would work."

"That stinks," Serena noted gagging slightly, but swung it open and pulled out the contents. Dean coughed and covered his nose. It was heavier than it looked – just a large folded green fabric. She held it to her chest as that was the easiest way to hold it. The last thing she wanted was to seem weak in front of strangers.

"Dean!" Sam shouted. "Watch out!" Dean swung round and came face to face with Marie Baker.

"Great," he muttered. He hadn't reloaded his shotgun.

"Duck," Serena ordered, she held the fabric in her left arm, and her pistol in her right hand. Dean obeyed quickly and Serena fired off a shot. It hit Marie and she disappeared. "Burn this, I'll cover you." She tossed the folded cloth in her arms at Dean and then fired at the ghost again. Without hesitating Dean put the fabric on the floor and reached into his bag. He pulled out what he needed and quickly poured fuel onto the fabric then sprinkled a good amount of salt over it to purify the bones before dropping a lighted match on top of it. All the while Serena shot at Marie, pausing to reload a couple of times. Dean, who had his back to her, heard her grunt and drop to the floor. He assumed Marie had gotten in a hit before she died for good. Dean jumped to his feet in time to see the ghost disappear in a flash of green light. He helped Serena stand up and noticed a large cut on her cheek.

"Now the fun begins," he commented as Sam came into sight. He had a cut across his forehead and bruises were already forming on this cheek and jaw. Serena looked at them in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"There's a demon attached to the spirit," Sam explained quickly. Serena became more confused.

"What demon? This was a straight forward restless spirit." Sam and Dean exchanged looks.

"Did you research this at all before you arrived?" Dean asked bluntly.

"Of course I did, I saw no evidence of a demon."

"So you missed the electrical storms, cattle mutilations-" Serena opened her mouth to argue, but closed it. She had missed those signs. "The sulphur at the model's home?"

"Sloppy Bates, real sloppy," she chided herself quietly, turning away from the brothers. She took a deep breath and faced them. "So what's the plan?"

"The plan is you leave, and let the professionals work," Dean smiled mockingly.

"Dean," Sam said. "I have an idea…" They walked a few paces away from Serena and had a muttered exchange. Serena took the time to inspect the pain on her cheek and realised it was a cut. It didn't feel that deep to her, but it was bleeding quite a bit. She had assumed the moisture was just from the stress of the situation. She dug around in her jeans pocket and found a scrunched up tissue. She sighed and used it to wipe up some of the blood; it was cleaner than anything else in the area. The brothers moved back towards her and she looked at them expectantly.

"Well?"

"One word: bait," Dean said happily. She was momentarily confused, Bates being her surname but then the penny dropped. She folded her arms across her chest.

"That's your brilliant idea? Use a girl you've known 10 minutes as bait? You better know what you're doing," she stated and walked back into the room she had met them in. She jumped onto the crate and sat on the edge of it. She heard Sam and Dean enter the room behind her but she ignored them, instead she pulled a silver knife out of her boot and played with it. She wasn't a massive fan of other hunters, she respected them, but as was the case of the few hunters she knew: she was a lone wolf. For reasons much like the situation she was in now. She wondered how long it would take for the demon to arrive. She was scared, facing demons was always dangerous, and now she was the bait? It was a little too close to home. Not a fun time. But she wanted to prove she wasn't just a poor hunter.

The door she had used earlier crashed to the floor, startling Serena. She stayed as casual as she could and glanced up through her long hair. She was surprised to see that the person standing across the room from her was quite attractive: blonde hair spiked up showing off gorgeous cheek bones. She stood up slowly and smiled.

"Hey there," she said. Where had this confidence come from? The knowledge that Sam and Dean were somewhere behind her? She doubted it, for all she knew they had left her. She walked towards the edge of the wooden board on the floor and stood as cockily as she could.

"Serena Bates," the demon said. "You're way out of your depth." The demon moved at a lightening fast speed and stood in front of her. She blanched. His eyes flashed from hazel to pure black. She stepped backwards involuntarily. "You will beg for us to kill you soon enough." The demon tried to step towards her, but couldn't. Dean and Sam came out from behind different crates at the back of the room. Both had guns pointed at the demon.

"Winchester," the demon spat when it saw them.

"Devil's trap," Sam said calmly, pointing at the board. "You're not going anywhere." They came to stand either side of Serena. Sam pulled a book out of his rucksack and began reading from it.

"That won't work," the demon laughed, Sam paused in reaction.

"Oh but this is a new and improved version," Dean drawled, a mocking smile on his features. "Carry on Sam."

"I don't understand what's going on," Serena said in an undertone to Dean.

"That's the story of your life Serena," the demon stared straight into her eyes. "Too stupid to see what's right in front of you before it's much too late? Isn't that why everybody turns their backs on you? Your friends, parents, your uncle, you're all alone-"

"Shut up," Serena snapped, the demon was talking about things she didn't want to think about, she didn't want Sam or Dean asking questions. She pointed her gun at him.

"You can't shoot me, or the human dies," he laughed.

"I don't usually like to kill humans, but for you I may just make an exception…" Serena snapped. She gritted her teeth as if that could stop her remembering.

"Sam, hurry up," Dean ordered. No-one should have to listen to these demons bringing up their darkest memories. He put his hand on the top of her gun and lowered it. The demon let out a howl and looked as if he was about to be sick. Thick black smoke poured from his mouth into the air above him. It couldn't escape the circle. The man fell to the floor as the demon smoke was sent back to hell. Sam rushed over to the man and checked his pulse. He sighed in relief.

"His pulse is relatively strong," he told them. "He should survive. The demon must have switched hosts recently."

"We should get him to a hospital then," Dean suggested.

"I'm gonna take this opportunity to leave," Serena said, checking she had clicked the safety on before habitually tucking her gun into the back of her jeans. After what the demon had said, she just wanted to leave. Sam nodded at Dean.

"I don't think so," Dean replied, grabbing the top of her arm. "Let's go." Sam led the way, supporting the weight of the man. Dean dragged Serena after them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Serena snapped. "Hey, get off me!" Dean ignored her.

"We need to talk before you go running off," Sam commented as he attempted to put the man in the backseat of the Impala. Dean led Serena to the other side of the car and shoved her in next to the unconscious man. Serena growled but helped Sam sit the man down. Dean jumped in the driving seat and waited for Sam to get into the car.

"This is kidnap," Serena snapped. "I have nothing to say to you!" Dean turned the radio up to block out her whining.

* * *

An hour later, Serena found herself sitting on the edge of a bed in the Winchesters motel room. Sam sat at a chair by a small table flicking through some sort of notebook. Serena sighed and looked over at the other bed. Dean lay sprawled across it on his back with his head resting on his hands. They had forced her into the motel room and since then they had barely spoken. She had no idea what was going on, she had expected some sort of interrogation. She stood up.

"Look, if you're not gonna say anything, I'm getting out of here," she stated.

"Pay up Dean," Sam grinned. Dean groaned as he sat up and fished in his pocket. He pulled out what looked like a $10 bill and held it out for Sam to claim. Serena looked at the scene with confusion.

"What was the bet?" She asked.

"How long it would take you to try to leave," Sam explained, getting up to claim his winnings. "Dean thought it would be ten minutes. I guessed 45, so I won."

"Yeah thanks for being so patient," Dean added sarcastically.

"When did you have time to bet?" She asked, ignoring Dean's comment.

"Hospital," Dean replied. "Anyway, now that's sorted…"

"It's not a good idea for you to be hunting," Sam said carefully.

"The puppy dog eyes are supposed to make me feel better about that?" Serena asked in disbelief. "What gives you the right to stop me?"

"This is a war," Dean snapped. "Its life or death out there, we don't want any more good people getting killed."

"If that's the way you feel then I'll leave now and you won't have to worry about it anymore." Serena didn't plan on giving up hunting, she had a mission in life and she wouldn't let them stop her. She glared at Dean and then at Sam. How dare they act superior?

"We've been doing this for a long time Serena," Sam reasoned. "And if you missed the signs-"

"Which may as well have been in neon lights with flashing arrows," Dean interjected.

"-then maybe for your own safety you should stop," Sam finished as if Dean hadn't interrupted.

"So using me as bait was for my own safety as well?" It was a good question in Serena's eyes. She would play their game if she had too. They stayed silent. "That's what I thought. You want me in danger if it benefits you."

"No that's not true-" Sam said quickly, his eyes pleading.

"It was your idea Sammy, don't act all innocent now," Dean accused, Sam shot a look at him for his betrayal and Dean shrugged back.

"Whatever," Serena snapped. "I'm out of here." She stormed towards the door, but was blocked by Dean. "Get out of the way."

"You're not leaving yet," he replied.

"The only way you're gonna stop me is by shooting me," she told him evenly. "Now move."

"No," he stated. Serena rolled her eyes but let her shoulders drop in defeat. Dean, thinking he had won, lowered his guard. Serena punched him across the jaw and watched him sink to the floor. She stepped around him and walked out of the door.

* * *

**I will update pretty quickly as I have plenty to update with! Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to eminemchick15 for reviewing! **

**If anybody is curious, this is named after the Led Zeppelin song Good Times Bad Times. **

**Please review!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**  
**She was fuming as she hurried across town, back to where she had parked her car earlier. It was near the factory and that was a good twenty-five minutes away. She jogged the way she remembered seeing from the backseat of the Winchester car. It was cold outside; it must have been at least eleven o'clock in the evening. As soon as she was in her car she drove out of town. She floored the accelerator in her red Toyota Celica. She loved driving fast; it cleared her mind leaving only the thrill of the speed. She didn't pay attention to where she was heading, she just wanted to put as much distance between herself and the Winchesters as possible. She growled at the thought of them trying to stop her hunting. She was 26 years old for god's sake. Her uncle had given her a task, and she was sure as hell going to do it.

She glanced at a sign over an hour later and found she was in Tennessee, near a town called Eva. She drove through the small town and looked for a motel on the other side of it. She was tired and her cheek still needed cleaning.

* * *

"Dude, she sucker punched me!" Dean repeated to his brother. Sam couldn't stop laughing at Dean for being knocked to the floor by Serena's punch.

"I don't think we gave her as much credit as she deserved," he noted as Dean gingerly felt his jaw.

"Whatever," Dean said. "She got lucky."

"If you say so," Sam laughed, and felt in his pocket for his ringing phone. He glanced at the caller ID. "Its Bobby," he told Dean before answering. "Hey Bobby." He listened for a while and asked a few questions.

Dean used the time to look in the mirror in the bathroom and see if he was bruising. He was relieved to see that he wasn't. It would have been embarrassing to admit a girl had hurt him. Even a hot girl.

"There's a case about four hours away," Sam informed him. Dean walked out of the bathroom and collapsed into a chair.

"What is it?"

"Three people have been sliced up in a week," Sam explained, Dean looked up at him sceptically. "I know I didn't think it sounded like our sort of thing either. Until Bobby told me that each victim had the same mark engraved on their foreheads."

"Mark?" Dean asked.

"Yeah some sort of symbol."

"We'll sleep when we're dead," Dean sighed, standing up and throwing his things into a bag. "Let's go."

* * *

"I'm not convinced this is our type of job," Sam said, sitting down heavily on a chair in the diner three days later. Dean looked across at him and pulled a face. He had been waiting for an hour for his brother to arrive. He had a half empty plate in front of him.

"It was your call to come here," he replied.

"I know, but I researched these symbols and get this, it's just an old Arabic symbol for friendship."

"Well that makes no sense," Dean said. "Maybe Bobby got it wrong." Sam laughed wryly.

"You're telling me. Did you find anything at the sheriff's office?"

"There was another death last night. Young guy was found in his apartment by his girlfriend. Same markings, same mysterious death. I checked out the apartment and there wasn't any blindingly obvious clues, but cos I'm awesome I found this." He rummaged in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small clear plastic bag. He tossed it at his brother, who caught it easily.

"What is that?" Sam asked as he held the bag up to see it clearly.

"You tell me," Dean replied. "It sure looks like a tooth to me."

"Was the victim missing any teeth?"

"Nope. I don't think it's a regular tooth, its green after all. And look it has the same engravings as the foreheads of the victims."

"So why was a freaky tooth there?"

"Dude, I think I know what we're dealing with," he paused. "It's a killer Tooth Fairy." He held a straight face for a few seconds before grinning. Sam rolled his eyes.

"I guess we should research teeth then," Sam said.

"You research. I'm going to see the dude's girlfriend. Oh not like that Sam. Not my type." He shuddered.

"Since when do you have a type?" Sam muttered at his brother's retreating form.

* * *

Dean knocked on the door of a small house, which was in need of repairs. The girlfriend, Yvonne Hampton was staying with her parents now after the murder of her boyfriend in their shared apartment. After less than a minute the door opened, revealing a middle-aged straw-haired woman.

"Mrs Hampton? My name is James Plant, I have a couple of questions for your daughter. I'm with the FBI." Dean flashed his fake FBI badge at the woman, whose eyes widened in shock.

"The FBI are involved?"

"Yes m'am," Dean replied.

"Come in Agent Plant," she beckoned him inside. "She's through here. We've spoken to the sheriff already."

"I know, I just have a couple extra questions."

"Yvonne, this is Agent Plant, are you okay to talk?" As Dean entered the living room, he saw the girl he had seen in a photograph that morning, but she looked washed out and upset now. Her blonde hair fell lank down her back.

"I'm sorry, I know this must be difficult."

"It's okay," Yvonne stated. Dean noticed a pile of discarded tissues nearby. "Anything to stop Greg's killer."

"What makes you think he was murdered?"

"Why would he carve a pattern into his face? He didn't approve of tattoos or piercings!" Yvonne said sternly.

"Aside from that there is no evidence of foul play," Dean replied calmly. "Do you know something? Did Mr Sheppard have any enemies?"

"Greg? No! He got on with everyone."

"Did he behave strangely on the days before…?"

"What do you mean strangely?"

"Did he seem scared? See things that weren't there?"

"What are you getting at?"

"If you could just answer the question," Dean asked. "It's just standard procedure."

"No, he didn't act any different to normal."

"Did you see anything suspicious? Any faults with the electricity?"

"Well the lights flickered a bit yesterday before I went to work," she shrugged.

"Thank you," Dean said. "If I have any more questions I will let you know."

* * *

Dean drove back to the motel in silence. He didn't know what they were dealing with and that worried him. There had already been four victims and that was four too many. He entered the motel room he was sharing with Sam and pulled his tie off and undid his top button.

"Did you learn anything?" Sam asked, looking up from his laptop.

"The lights flickered a bit," he quoted. Sam frowned.

"That doesn't really limit it."

"I know," Dean sighed. "What about you?" Sam threw up his hands.

"I searched for green teeth and there isn't a lot out there. It could be a Curupira."

"A curupira?"

"A forest deity that, they're usually found in Brazil."

"So what's one doing in Michigan?"

"Beats me," Sam replied. "They protect the forests from the destructive deeds of man."

"Like the new strip mall? Didn't they have to cut down a forest?"

"Well not a forest but yeah."

"And how do we find this little rascal?"

"Flame red hair, green teeth and legs that point backwards, should be pretty easy."

"And how do we waste it?"

"Dean, it's a protector of nature-"

"Yeah, one that's killing innocent people."

"Maybe they're not as innocent as we think, maybe nobody is."

"If you can find an alternative…"

"In the lore, hunter's distracted him with a puzzle, a knot of Iliana, it's a plant Dean."

"So we have to get us some plant?"

"I think the point is to distract it."

"Distracting isn't gonna stop him for long. Find a way to 86 him." Sam nodded and went back to his laptop. Dean took his suit jacket off and sat down.

"I think it will attack that girlfriend," Sam said suddenly.

"Why?"

"In the forests, the Curupira went after groups of hunters- don't worry, not us- so that could roughly mean a close knit group of people in the city."

"And it would have got her scent in the apartment. Sick son of a bitch." He got up quickly and pulled a gun out of a bag lying on one of the beds. He checked it was loaded and put on his leather jacket. "Lets go."

* * *

The Winchesters made their way to the house in question. Sam peered through the window to the left of the door. He nodded at Dean. The older Winchester knocked on the door and waited, much as he had done only an hour or two before. Mrs Hampton answered the door again and smiled at him.

"Agent Plant wasn't it?" she greeted.

"Yes, hello, I need to talk with your daughter please."

"Of course, she's upstairs. I'll go get her."

"No it's alright," Dean smiled and walked towards the stairs. "Oh this is my partner Agent Page." Sam nodded at her and followed his brother.

"Yvonne?" Dean called. Yvonne appeared at her door, peering out curiously. She wiped a hand across her eyes to dash away her tears.

"You thought of something else?"

"Is there some way you can get your parents out of the house?"

"What? What are you on about?"

"We believe you may be at risk," Sam explained, using his puppy dogs.

"I was right about Greg being murdered?"

"We think so," Dean nodded.

"Why is he after me?"

"He goes after couples," Sam simplified. Yvonne nodded. She was taking it pretty well.

"Okay," she took a deep breath and nodded to herself. "Does it have to be here?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's easier for me to leave than to kick them out of their own home."

"He'll go wherever you are."

"Let's get out of here then." Dean admired her bravery. It wasn't often that people responded so well. He supposed it was because she realised how serious it was after her boyfriend got murdered by the same thing hunting her.

* * *

They relocated to the motel room and prepared for the oncoming fight. When night fell, Sam was sure that it wouldn't be long until the Curupira came knocking. Yvonne sat on a chair and stared at the floor.

"Let me get this straight," she broke the silence. "Your plan is to distract this murderer with a Rubik's cube and then what?"

"Then we kill the son of a bitch," Dean stated. Sam had failed to find an alternative. Now they were armed with axes: what better way to kill a forest deity than to cut it down?

"You're not FBI are you?"

"No, but we still want to save you," Sam replied. "I'm Sam, and this is my brother Dean. Greg wasn't murdered by a psycho who liked patterns, it was a forest spirit. A deity."

"What are you on about?" Yvonne asked, she was looking at them as if she regretted leaving the safety of her own home. Dean rolled his eyes.

"So just imagine the TV actually got it right this time," Dean explained to the disbelieving Yvonne. "Demons and spirits walk among us committing various evils…"

"What and I just happen to be the focus of all of this? I'm sorry Dean. I think you need to see the nice people in the white coats. The whole supernatural angle…well that's just plain fiction."

"Trust me this isn't some run of the mill psychopath and I'm not insane. I could prove it."

"No, I'd rather you didn't." Yvonne gulped, though she still thought Dean had a few screws loose, the thought of some elaborate stunt made her uncomfortable. Dean threw his hands up in the air.

"You've seen what happened to your boyfriend, how can you still…you're so stubborn!" Yvonne's face turned cold. The door slammed open and the three occupants stood up to face it.

"Looks human to me," Yvonne whispered, peering around Sam to take a look." The Curupira looked just a teenager with ginger hair. It grinned at them, and they saw the lines of green teeth.

"You were wrong about the feet," Dean commented drily.

"Now's not the time Dean," Sam replied. Dean shrugged. The Curupira stepped forwards and breathed through its nose, obviously testing the smell of the air. Its eyes fell on Yvonne and it stepped forward again. It moved its arms and the Winchesters went flying into the walls on opposite sides of the room, leaving a clear path to Yvonne. Sam stood up quickly, hunching over his left arm. The Curupira glared at him and waved his hand again. This time Sam went flying through the window.

"Sammy!" Dean shouted, getting up slowly. The Curupira pointed at Yvonne's forehead and she let of a small shriek of pain. "Hey, ugly," Dean called, throwing the Rubik's cube at it. It caught it on reflex and looked down at it in confusion. "Figure that out." The Curupira's attention was fixed on the puzzle in its hands. It started moving the sides quickly. Dean stood up completely and hurried over to his axe. He gripped it tightly and swung it at the Curupira's legs. Sam had told him that Curupiras, like trees, had to touch the ground at all times. It made sense then, that cutting the legs off of it would weaken it significantly. He successfully cut it down and then axed it in the chest for good measure. Yvonne stared at him with fear in her eyes. The Curupira started to disintegrate into what looked like soil. Sam climbed back into the room holding his head.

"We need to spread the soil outside." They gathered up as much of the soil as possible and chucked it onto the grass outside of the motel room. "That should do it."

"Did that really just happen?" Yvonne asked.

"Yup," Dean answered. "You alright Sammy?" Sam touched the wound on his head and nodded.

"Just fine."

"Come on, let's get you home," Dean said to Yvonne. "Then we better hit the road before we have to pay damages."

**Thanks for reading! Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the lovely reviews! The first part of this chapter is set between around episodes four and five.**

**Let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 3

* * *

**

Sam was scouring the ground floor of an old abandoned house. Dean was on the floor above him doing the same. If the statue they were looking for wasn't here, then Sam had no idea where it would be. They had witnesses saying that the suspicious George Daniels often came here for no reason. They were on a deadline as well; Daniels was locked in the town's small jail for the night thanks to Dean charming one of the officers. Sam shook his head at the memory. He was currently in the house's spacious living room. An old sofa was still in the middle of the room, and a table stood in front of it stacked with old papers. Sam stopped to look at the stack. He picked up the first few sheets and saw they were newspaper clippings dating back to 1981: the year of the first murder. The door creaked open to Sam's right. He spun round and pulled his gun out of his jacket pocket. He shone the torch at the front door.

"I had a feeling we'd see you again," Sam said, his flashlight flicked over a familiar face. "Just not so soon."

"Well only a fool would miss the signs," Serena replied pointedly. Sam smiled at that and lowered the beam of light. "On your own?"

"Dean's searching upstairs," Sam explained.

"Waste of time. It'll be in the basement," Serena commented nonchalantly, heading into the kitchen for the way downstairs. Sam followed her.

"What makes you say that? I cross referenced about five books and they all say it'll be in a 'place of elevated grace,' and all the victims were found on the top floor."

"I read that too," Serena agreed. "But I checked it against a book on Japanese lore, and it means on a pedestal, not a literally high place. And then I read that Daniels had commissioned work in the basement." Sam rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. How had he missed that? Serena opened a door in the kitchen and shone her torch through it. She half turned to face him. "We may need Dean."

"Good thinking," Sam replied. "Wait here, I'll go get him." Serena smiled and leant against the door frame. Sam nodded and walked out of the kitchen.

Serena waited a full 30 seconds before she descended to the basement. She scanned the room with her torchlight and saw the pedestal in the far corner of the room. Before moving towards it she went around the back of the staircase and pulled out her gun and checked that it was loaded. She heard heavy feet above her head and knew it was Sam and Dean.

"Where is she?" Dean asked.

"I don't know, she must have gone down already," Sam replied, confusion in his voice. Serena saw a beam of light sweep across the shadows. Sam and Dean both saw that there was no one else in the basement. "Or she left… She was right though…there it is."

"How come you were outsmarted College Boy?" Dean teased, walking towards the pedestal. Serena smiled to herself proudly.

"I seem to remember her sucker punching you, Dean." Her grin widened at the memory.

"So this ancient curse," Dean began, changing the subject. "I thought there was no way of stopping curses?" He pointed to the small statue of a dragon.

"Well according to the book this one is different," Sam agreed, following his brother. "There was mention of a guardian in more than one book, but there wasn't a specific description." Serena rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what to expect.

"Where's the fun in knowing everything Sammy," Dean said, Serena could tell he was grinning. He lifted the statue off of the pedestal. "See nothing happened." Serena shook her head in disbelief and counted silently to ten. A bright light filled the room for a few seconds, followed by a loud groan. The brothers continued to stare at the pedestal, not knowing that behind them stood a Japanese warrior.

"Should we smash it?" Sam asked aloud.

"One way to find out," Dean replied.

"Wait!" Serena shouted, she stepped out of the shadows and shot the warrior through the heart. Dean turned round to see the warrior's sword fading an inch away from his neck. He gulped and looked at Serena wide eyed.

"How long has that guy been there?" He asked.

"Shut up, we don't have time. Have you got salt on you?" She had, but her hands were full.

"Yeah," Sam replied, reaching into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a small vial of salt. She poured her own vial over the statue – a hoodoo mix.

"Alright, pour it over the statue, wait 10 seconds and then smash it," she ordered. She shot the warrior when he raised his sword at Dean again. "Pay attention Dean!" Sam quickly sprinkled the salt onto the statue and looked up at Dean. Serena murmured some words in Japanese that the Winchesters did not quite hear. The older Winchester counted 10 seconds and then slammed the statue onto the pedestal. The warrior howled and disappeared into the same strange light he had appeared in.

In the dim light of the basement, Sam and Dean looked first at each other, and then at Serena.

"What just happened?" Dean asked slowly.

"I just saved your asses," Serena replied. "Aren't you glad I didn't stop hunting?"

"Dude," he said, turning to Sam and hitting him on the arm. "Why do you carry around a vial of salt?"

"I don't think that's the most important issue here, Dean."

"Right. What is?" Sam shook his head at his brother.

"Serena, thank you for that," he said sincerely.

"It's no problem," she replied. "Glad I could help. Still think I'm incapable?"

"No," Sam answered at the same time Dean said "Yes". Serena laughed at their answers.

"I outsmarted the clever one, and saved the cute one, I think that shows I'm a good hunter."

"Well thanks a bunch, we'll be on our way now," Dean replied, Serena waited a few seconds and saw the exact moment her comment sank in. "Cute one? I'd say I'm downright adorable."

"Just take the compliment Dean," she said. "Shame you haven't grown as a person in the last month."

"And you have?"

"I think I've already proven that," she glared at him. "Anyway, I've got a job a couple of hours away." She turned away from them and crossed to the stairs. "You boys should be more careful," she added before she left.

"One lucky shot and she thinks she's amazing," Dean complained, walking across the room, shaking his head. "Women." Sam grinned at his brother's reaction and followed him. "Is the curse lifted?"

"Yes, it drew its power from that statue. We should go and tell the Donner's that they're safe now." Dean nodded and led the way out of the basement. "Should we look into the job she mentioned?" he asked.

"Nah leave her to it. We should check in with Bobby."

* * *

"I got a visit from your pal Ruby," Bobby informed them on the phone. Sam and Dean were parked on the side of the road with the phone on loudspeaker.

"Well she just pops up everywhere," Dean commented.

"What did she want?" Sam asked quickly, ignoring his brother.

"She was handy actually, helped with the colt," he told them. "I don't want to say too much on the phone…"

"We'll stop by as soon as we can Bobby," Sam replied.

"Look, what can you tell me about a hunter called Serena Bates?" Dean asked.

"Bates? It doesn't sound familiar. Have you got anything more for me to go on?"

"She's about 25 years old, cute, brown hair…"

"Not helping, Dean," Sam interrupted.

"Then no we don't know anything else yet," Dean replied.

"She sounds like she's from Missouri," Sam suggested. Dean thought for a moment and nodded.

"I'll see what I can dig up," Bobby promised and hung up.

* * *

Serena sat in a bar about two miles away from the motel she had been staying at. She had meant to leave as soon as she had finished the case, but she had a craving for the bar atmosphere, plus she needed some cash. She took a long sip of her drink and surveyed the area. It was a typical run down bar; it was emptying as it was getting late. Serena picked her drink up and walked over to the pool table. A man was leant over the table potting random balls. He was mildly attractive for a man in his forties; his hair seemed to be its natural brown still. Serena stopped in front of him and waited for him to look at her. He looked her up and down and smiled.

"Must be my lucky day," he said. Serena laughed in response.

"I sure hope not," she replied. "How about a match?" The man's smile grew wider.

"Sure Baby."

"And how about we play for cash? Say $50," she asked him, he nodded in mock seriousness. He set up the balls in the correct way while she retrieved a cue. She went on to lose the first match and offered to play another. The man, Kevin, agreed and they raised the stakes to $75. Serena stepped up her game, but still made sure she lost. The door to the bar opened and she glanced up to see who it was. She groaned as she saw the Winchesters' walk in. The last people she wanted to see. Kevin looked at her, assuming she was upset about losing over a hundred dollars.

"Look, because you're a cool gal, I say one more game, so you can try and win your money back," he said sympathetically.

"Two hundred dollars," she stated. Kevin blew out a breath, obviously thinking that she would lose again. He nodded slowly.

"If that's what you want," he agreed.

"What's going on here?" A new voice asked. Serena rolled her eyes as she recognised the voice. Dean had noticed she was there.

"Honey, now's not a good time," she said sweetly. Kevin looked from Dean to her and raised an eyebrow.

"You know when you asked for some money Princess," he put an arm around her waist and squeezed "…you didn't say it was for this," Dean said. Serena glared at him, she looked over his shoulder and saw Sam sitting at the bar ordering drinks. Serena ignored Dean's comment.

"Let's play," she said to Kevin. She pulled the money out of her jeans pocket and placed it on the rim of the table. "$200 plus the money you've already won." Kevin piled his money on top of Serena's. Dean watched as Serena pulled out her pool skills and won the money back. Kevin stared at the pile of money as he realised he had been hustled and slammed his beer on the rim and grabbed her wrist as she picked up the money.

"Hey!" Serena said in surprise. "Get off me, I won that money!" Dean stepped forward and yanked Kevin's arm away from Serena.

"You played me bitch!" he snapped. Dean pushed him further away.

"Calm down man," he told the man. Kevin glared at them both but walked away, obviously deciding that Dean was stronger and less inebriated than himself. Dean turned to face Serena.

"Thought you had to rush off," he said.

"Maybe I still do, I just needed to get some cash first, and hey the bank was closed." Dean grinned appreciatively and glanced over at Sam, who was watching curiously.

"Look, why don't you have a drink with us first," he asked. Serena pulled a face, but decided she may as well.

"Your round," she said and walked passed him towards Sam. She greeted him and fell into the seat at his side. Dean followed behind and ordered her a drink. The barmaid was a year older than Serena was, with long blonde hair and a low cut top. Dean smirked and leant in to talk to her. He took a mouthful of the beer Sam had ordered for him and asked for her number. She grinned and wrote it down for him on a napkin.

"Smooth Dean," Serena commented.

"He can't go anywhere without hitting on something," Sam added, laughing. Serena grinned as Dean pulled a face.

"I'd be offended, but when you're this cute it'd be a crime not to." This caused Sam and Serena to laugh even more. She sat there listening to the brothers talking for a few minutes. It was nice, and she could probably get used to having company that understood about the things that went bump in the night, but her past had shown her people leave. Always. Then she got up abruptly.

"Hey, I'm gonna go," she announced. "Nice seeing you again." She walked out quickly and headed for her car. She glanced around there was nobody around. She walked over to her parked Celica and pulled her keys out of her jeans pocket.

"You, girly," a voice said from her left. She turned to face whoever was speaking to her. She rolled her eyes when she saw it was Kevin. The thought had crossed her mind that he had given up easily.

"Hey Kev," she greeted. He swayed over and stood before her. "You don't look so good."

"That's what happens when you lose that much money," he replied. "I want it back."

"I'm sorry but I won that money," she said evenly. "Now if you want a rematch…" He stepped closer to her and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. The door to the bar swung open to reveal Dean. Kevin glanced back at the sound.

"Oh your body guard is here."

"What makes you think I need a bodyguard," she asked. He threw a punch at her, which she blocked easily and hit him. He staggered away from her and was caught by Dean. The Winchester shoved him towards the bar and stepped in between him and Serena. "Dean, I don't need you to protect me."

"I know," Dean replied shortly. "Doesn't mean I have to let this creep mess you around." Serena shot a glare at him but didn't stop him. She couldn't help but feel a little flattered even though her pride stopped her from showing it. Kevin glared at them but stumbled back into the bar.

"I could have handled it," she said stubbornly. Dean nodded his acknowledgement. "Why did you come out?"

"I had a feeling old Kevin would be lurking," Dean shrugged. "I won't next time." He added, turning back towards the bar. He started walking off and Serena took a step towards him.

"Dean, wait," she called. He turned to face her expectantly. "Thank you." She walked the few more steps so that they were face to face. She kissed his cheek lightly. She stepped backwards and smiled at him. He looked at her intensely and closed the gap between them. He kissed her roughly and she pushed herself closer to him. She felt herself stop thinking. The door swung open again and she heard Sam clear his throat. They broke apart and Serena felt herself blush slightly at the expression on Dean's face. She could tell he hadn't wanted the kiss to end either.

"That guy is gathering some buddies," Sam announced. He looked surprised at what he had walked into.

"I really better hit the road," Serena said, backing away towards her car. She shared a long look with Dean and waved at them both. She turned and unlocked her car, sliding into it without looking back.

**Thank you :) do let me know what you think or if there are any mistakes etc.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, this one is set after Red Sky at Night, so there are a couple weeks in between last chapter and this one. Thanks to everyone who reviewed or just read it in general.**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

"What is it with annoying hot women just popping up again and again," Dean complained. First Ruby, then Serena and now we have to worry about Bela?" They were driving across the state, for once without a purpose. They hadn't found a job to do yet, and were just enjoying the small piece of free time they had.

"Seems to be a new trend," Sam agreed. "I don't think we'll see them again for a while."

"Really 'cos I think we'll see them more than you use those old puppy dogs." Sam frowned and shook his head. He was used to these comments.

"Jerk," he responded.

"Bitch."

"Whatever man."

* * *

A knock at the door to their motel room surprised the Winchesters', they weren't expecting any guests and nobody knew they were close to Pitman, New Jersey. Dean glanced over at Sam and picked up his gun, signalling Sam to do the same. Sam did so and they walked over to the door. Sam peered through the spy hole and mouthed 'Ruby' to Dean. The older Winchester rolled his eyes and aimed the gun at the door as Sam opened it.

"Now that's a warm welcoming," she said sarcastically, glaring at Dean. It was the first time Dean had seen the demon. She walked into the motel room and folded her arms. Sam shut the door behind her.

"What do you want Ruby?" He asked nicely.

"Good to see you too," she replied. "I wanted to know what the hell you two are playing at."

"None of your business, bitch," Dean said hostilely, still pointing the gun at her. He didn't know exactly what she meant, but he stood by his statement.

"Are you getting yourselves in danger on purpose? As if there's not enough going on, you go and pick up more."

"Does she always speak in riddles?" Dean asked, glancing at Sam.

"Pretty much," Sam replied.

"Boy, you two really are slow aren't you?" She snapped. "Fine, if that's how you want to play it: just watch who you're calling friends."

"You know that's funny coming from you."

"Dean…" Sam warned. "Who are you talking about-" Another knock at the door made Sam break off his sentence.

"Who the hell could that be?" Dean whispered. Sam shrugged and opened the door quickly, giving Dean a clear shot.

"Do you always have to greet me with a gun to the chest?" Serena asked.

"Serena, how did you know where we were?"

"I called in a favour," she shrugged; she noticed another female in the room. "Who's that?" She was intimidated by the blonde.

"Ruby," the blonde announced. She didn't smile at Serena or do anything else polite, she just stared at her. "This is Serena?"

"You've heard of her?" Dean asked in surprise.

"Sam mentioned her," Ruby revealed. Dean shot an annoyed glance at Sam. Why was Sam telling a demon about Serena?

"Looks like I'm famous," Serena commented.

"Not for anything good," Ruby stated. The two females stared each other down. Ruby's eyes glanced over at Sam. "You never mentioned she was a skank."

"Look who's talking," Serena retorted. Ruby flashed her eyes at Serena, who took a step back as she saw the demon in the blonde. She pulled her own gun out of her jacket and pointed it at Ruby. "Why the hell are you with a demon?"

"Its okay Serena," Sam soothed. "She's a friend."

"Speak for yourself," Dean added. He beckoned Serena over with a look, she didn't take her eyes or gun off of Ruby but she edged around Sam and stood next to Dean.

"Can we try and be a little mature here guys," Sam asked pointedly.

"Just finish what you wanted to tell us Ruby and leave," Dean ordered, normally he would crack a joke about cat fights, but he didn't like Ruby's presence.

"You know I'm not in an overly sharing mood anymore. It's not my problem after all," she snapped and walked passed Sam to the door. "See ya."

"Ruby, wait," Sam asked, but Ruby ignored him and slammed the door behind her.

"She's just a bundle of fun," Serena commented, lowering her gun. Dean snorted and did the same.

"We needed that information, Dean," Sam shouted.

"There are other sources," he replied. "And they're more trustworthy than that bitch."

"She's not led us wrong yet."

"Yet," Dean repeated. "She's a demon Sammy. They lie." Serena stood awkwardly next to the older Winchester. She hadn't seen them argue before, and she didn't want to get involved. She shifted uncomfortably and cringed as Sam faced her.

"Why are you even here Serena?" Sam asked, turning his anger on her.

"Don't take this out on her," Dean said indignantly.

"Well if she hadn't appeared, we would know what was going on!"

"I'm sorry Sam," Serena interjected sarcastically. "Don't worry, I'll leave as well."

"No you don't have to," Sam replied. "I'll go." He grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the motel room. Serena blinked in surprise.

"Do I smell or something?" Serena asked rhetorically before looking at Dean. "I didn't mean to interrupt…"

"Yeah, well Ruby never has anything to say."

"But you just…with Sam…I didn't mean to upset him," Serena apologised.

"You don't think me and Sam argue? You try being stuck with him in a car for days at a time," Dean half joked. "He's like a pregnant woman…all hormonal." A little laugh escaped from Serena's lips. Dean smiled at the sound, he moved from where he had been standing and lounged in a chair.

"I just feel so…I only came to check in," Serena said. It had only been a week since they had last run into each other. She didn't quite know where she stood with Dean after that time.

"Consider yourself checked," Dean replied lightly. "Anything fun happen with you?"

"Just the usual, restless spirit with a grudge against the world," Serena informed him, sounding bored. She leaned against the wall behind one of the beds. "You?"

"Ghost ship."

"I miss all the good ones," she said wistfully.

"Nah, we ran into that thief again…"

"Becky?"

"Bela," Dean corrected. "So it wasn't all fun and games."

"She sounds like a bitch."

"A stuck-up bitch," he corrected. "Sam had his hands full. You should have seen this old lady all over Sam. She had a case of wandering hands." Serena burst into laughter at the thought.

"Wish I had seen that," she laughed. They were silent for a little while. Serena began to feel awkward again, realising that she hadn't spent that much time with Dean, especially after their kiss. She didn't know how to start any sort of conversation. She looked up and saw that Dean was watching her. She smiled slightly and he chuckled.

"Well I'd suggest what I usually do when Sam prances off, but I somehow think you wouldn't like it," Dean announced.

"I can imagine," she drawled.

"I guess it'll just have to be plain old getting to know each other then," he replied, pretending to sound disappointed. She sighed dramatically.

"I suppose so, what do you want to know?"

"Let's start with the basics: where were you born?"

"West Plains, Missouri," she replied. So Sam had been right about the state, Dean thought. "You?"

"Lawrence, Kansas."

"Nice area," Serena commented, nodding.

"I don't remember much about it," Dean lied. "Favourite colour?"

"Easy," she smiled. "Red."

"Good choice. Favourite band?"

"Muse," she told him. He looked confused so she added "They're an English band. Why do all hunter's have to like the 70's?". Dean continued to ask her lots of light questions, it passed over an hour and then they were at a loss again. They had moved onto one of the queen sized beds a little way apart. Serena sat with her back resting on the head board and Dean was sprawled across most of the bed. She picked up the television remote and switched it on. She flicked through a couple of channels and saw there wasn't anything interesting on.

"Put that back on," Dean said quickly as she passed a film.

"What is it?"

"Evil Dead," he told her.

"A horror film?" They had been watching it all of one minute and a demon had appeared. "Does this not remind you of our day job a little too much?"

"Oh come on its not realistic," Dean laughed.

"I can't say I'm a fan…" she said, she didn't really need the reminder that demons were only too real. Dean laughed at her fearful expression.

"Its ok, I'll protect you," he joked.

"Comforting," she replied, raising an eyebrow. She shifted position, so that she was lying on her stomach facing the TV with her arms supporting her head. Dean also moved to accommodate it. "May as well get comfy if I have to sit through this."

* * *

Sam didn't come back for a long time; Serena fell asleep long before she heard the door open and quietly close. She opened her eyes slightly and saw Sam stop at the table by the door and take in the scene before him. It was then that Serena realised the weight on her stomach was Dean's arm and that the pillow beneath her head was his shoulder. She was curled against him. When did that happen? She asked herself. The last thing she remembered was watching some other film after Evil Dead. Sam shook his head in disbelief and cleared his throat loudly. Serena waited for Dean to stir before she opened her eyes.

"Five more minutes," Dean moaned sleepily. Serena glanced up at Sam, noticing he wouldn't meet her eyes. She sighed and nudged Dean in the ribs, waking him up. "Ouch." She waited a few seconds and then tried to move. She didn't want to be in the motel room for the oncoming talk. Dean moved his arm from her waist allowing her to get up. She missed the weight instantly and saw that he was disappointed too.

"I'm staying on the ground floor," she said quietly, so they would know where she is if they wanted. "I'll be gone by the afternoon." She quickly picked up her jacket and left the room.

* * *

Sam stood and waited for Serena to go, he saw Dean's eyes follow her out. He wasn't completely surprised at what he had seen. In his eyes, Dean's behaviour towards Serena was different to most of the girls his older brother liked. As soon as the door closed, Dean looked up at his brother.

"About last night…" Sam began. Dean looked expectantly. "I'm sorry I overreacted. It's just that we have so much going on, some heads up would be nice."

"It's okay Sammy," Dean said slowly. "But trusting a demon? I still don't think it's a good move."

"She's not bad-" Dean held his hand up to stop him.

"Let's not argue about it again," he didn't want it to get anymore tense. After all he had less than a year on earth. "I think you need to say sorry to someone else."

"I know," Sam replied. "You could always apologise to Ruby…"

"I will when hell freezes over," Dean said. "Which will hopefully be soon."

"Funny."

"Did you find her?"

"No, I just ended up driving for a while." Dean nodded and went to shower.

* * *

Serena was searching the internet for a new case when she heard someone knock on her door. She closed her laptop before crossing the small room to answer it. She pulled it open without looking who was there. In her mind there were only two people it could be. It was Sam.

"Sam," she greeted levelly. She gestured for him to come in. "If you're here to apologise, don't worry about it." They stood opposite each other in the centre of the room.

"No, I had no right-"

"You don't owe me anything Sam," she said firmly. "In fact you were right; it is my fault the demon left." Sam pulled a face at Serena's emphasis on the word demon, just like Dean did.

"I still shouldn't have shouted at you," he replied honestly. "But there's just so much we don't know at the moment." Serena nodded.

"Well apology accepted."

"Where are you going next?" He asked.

"I don't know, there are a few places that could be jobs."

"What's with you and Dean?" Sam said abruptly. Serena stared at him in surprise. "I saw you on the bed…?"

"What," she stuttered. "Nothing."

"I just don't think it's a good idea," Sam spoke softly.

"Nothing's going on Sam."

"Please don't think I don't like you, its just I don't think you should invest in it. It won't go anywhere."

"Thanks for the warning, I'll keep it in mind," she said sarcastically. "Now if you don't mind I was in the middle of something."

"Serena…" She turned her back on him and went back to her laptop. Sam sighed and left the room. He had had the best intentions, Dean didn't have that long.

**

* * *

Let me know if it ever gets to cliché! I want to avoid such things!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is chapter 5! Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing (a bigger thank you to the reviewers obviously!) **

Not long after Sam's visit to her room, Serena was seated in the diner just down the road from the motel. She wasn't overly hungry, but she had had enough of sitting in her motel room, staring at the laptop. She played with the fries on her plate and picked at them. She knew she should have left after her talk with Sam. Seeing either Winchester wasn't that tempting right now, but she decided she had better eat before hitting the road.

"Are you gonna eat that?" A voice said from above her. She looked up to see Sam and Dean slide into the seats opposite her.

"Be my guest," she replied, pushing the plate towards Dean. She pulled her drink to where her plate had been and twirled the straw.

"Something on your mind?"

"Nope," she lied. The waitress came over for Sam and Dean's order. She left quickly to get their food. Dean stared at Serena for a few seconds, trying to gage if she was telling the truth or not. He shook his head, but left it.

"So what brought you into this business?" Dean asked trying to start a conversation. He had been curious for a while. Sam stepped on his brother's foot under the table.

"Dean…"

"No, it's a fair question," Serena replied, smiling briefly. "My uncle was a hunter."

"Anyone we know?"

"I doubt it, his name was Nate Harding. He moved to Europe about seven years ago. Taught me all he knew before he left."

"Huh," Dean said. "You kinda forget this happens over there too."

"Dean…" Sam started again.

"Give me a break Sammy."

"Sammy? How cute," Serena commented.

"It's Sam," he replied stiffly. "Dean forgets I'm not twelve anymore."

"Whatever you say," she said, holding her hands up. She twirled her straw again and looked at Sam. She decided it was best to act as if the conversation hadn't happened. She picked up a French fry from her plate before Dean could finish them all. Sam opened his mouth to comment when his phone started to ring.

"Excuse me," he said and left the booth before picking it up.

"Everything ok?" Dean asked quickly.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"I just…get the feeling you're not. Did Sam say something else?"

"No, it's all good Dean, don't worry so much. I'm a big girl; I can handle him shouting at me."

"So he did say something," Dean muttered. "Whatever he said, ignore it. That boy doesn't think when he's annoyed." Serena smiled slightly.

"He's your brother; of course you'd say that," she replied. "It's fine though. I'll get out of your way for a while." She didn't want to be around the Winchesters, with Sam being weird, and Dean apparently not a 'good idea'.

"You don't have to do that, he's just being a bitch."

"Nah I've got places to go, people to see."

"There's a job here you know," he told her, hoping for her to stay a bit longer. He didn't want to part on bad terms. "Something straight out of the myths." She sat up straighter, it wasn't often she came across anything but ghosts or demon possessions.

"According to Sammy we have a Banshee on our hands," he explained. "He's still researching it so I'm not sure why its here."

"How many deaths so far?"

"Three, all from the same family: Gramps, an aunt and the youngest daughter."

"That's unusual," Serena commented. "Maybe I'll stick around…" Dean nodded sombrely, though he was pleased. Sam came back to their booth.

"Dean I need a word with you," he said. Dean looked from Sam to Serena and nodded.

"Don't touch my food," he ordered. She laughed and crossed her heart, making him grin as he followed his brother outside. "What is it?"

"That was Bobby on the phone. I told him about Serena's uncle."

"And," Dean prompted. He leant against a post and waited.

"And Bobby told me Nate was a serious badass," Sam told him.

"Badass?"

"Yeah, he ganked more demons and spirits than any other hunter Bobby knew. And get this: he went to Europe to escape some pretty bad mojo."

"Like what?" Dean asked, knowing it would take something very big to make a hunter flee.

"Bobby's not sure," Sam admitted. "But he thinks Nate did it to save his family. There's more going on than we know. Maybe this is what Ruby meant?" Dean turned to go back into the diner. "Wait, Dean, Bobby thinks that Serena doesn't know why her uncle left."

"Then we gotta tell her," he replied.

"Dean-"

"I'm not keeping secrets from her."

"You already are," Sam interrupted. "We have nothing to tell her anyway." Dean threw his hands up in annoyance.

"Why are you doing this Sam," he demanded. "You don't like her? That it?"

"Dean, no of course not," Sam replied quickly.

"Then why do you keep bringing up all these things?" Sam didn't reply, Dean went back into the diner.

"What was that about?" Serena asked when Dean threw himself into the booth.

"Just something about Ruby," he lied, he looked at his plate. "You've had some!"

"I was bored," she replied smiling. "I didn't think you'd miss it." Her smile was infectious and Dean found himself smiling back, even though he was annoyed at Sam. "Do I need to leave?" She asked, reading his mood.

"Stop asking that," he ordered. She glanced up and saw Sam making his way over. She smiled hesitantly at him as he sat down.

"I have some information on the case," he told them. He took a bite of his food and began to explain. "The myths usually tell us that the Banshee's wail can only be heard by those who are about to die which would explain why none of the guests heard it."

"Guests?" Serena asked.

"The Spencer's were having a little get together," Dean told her. Serena nodded and looked back at Sam.

"Now, there are some cases where Banshee's become attached to particular families, like that one me and dad took care of in Florida," Dean nodded. "But I'm still not sure why they do. The hard part will be finding the Banshee, as we won't be able to see it."

"Maybe we should send Serena in there to seduce one of the widowers," Dean joked. "Then you'd be able to see it."

"Maybe you should bite me," she replied in the same tone.

"Maybe," Dean agreed, smirking at her. Sam shook his head and looked at Serena, but she wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Anyway," Sam said finally. "Only one type of Banshee actually commits the murders…"

"So it could be something completely different." Serena summarised.

"We need to do some investigating," Sam agreed.

"I suggest talking to the family then," she said.

"They won't even talk to the press about it," Dean replied.

"Or the police for that matter," Sam added.

"Yeah but they're more likely to talk to me. It needs a woman's touch. "

* * *

Serena rang the doorbell of an impressively sized old house. She was dressed in a smart gray pencil skirt and a lilac shirt – not her normal attire but she had to look the part. Dean and Sam were in a nearby library looking for any reasons as to why this particular family were victims. The door opened to reveal a middle aged woman in a pant suit. Serena could see mascara stains under the woman's eyes: she had been crying.

"Mrs Spencer?" She asked politely. "My name is Jane Williams, the sheriff sent me over to see how you were."

"Why?" Mrs Spencer asked, guardedly. "We have nothing to say to the police."

"Oh I'm sorry, I'm a grief counsellor. I know you've had a hard time over the last fortnight. I'm not here to gather evidence, I'm here to help."

"Thank you, but I don't need a counsellor," Mrs Spencer began to shut the door, when a hand stopped her shutting it. A younger woman appeared.

"Mom, I think you should talk to her," she suggested. Serena knew from Dean's information that the woman was Kelly Spencer. Serena smiled at them both reassuringly. Kelly beckoned her into the house and closed the door behind her.

"I'm very sorry for your losses," Serena said. "But there are some more positive aspects that people find helpful."

"Positive?" Mrs Spencer snapped. "What could be positive about three deaths?"

"I mean no disrespect," Serena replied. "In times of crisis and grief, relationships and family ties become stronger, the bond greater."

"She's right Mom," Kelly agreed, she led them into a stately sitting room. "Just look at Justice and Mike, they're actually talking now."

"Justice and Mike?" Serena asked.

"My brother and cousin."

"That's good," she replied. "Now, I believe it would be good to talk through what has happened."

"Why do we have to keep reliving it?" Mrs Spencer complained.

"It helps people move on," she smiled apologetically.

"Fine. My father died a fortnight ago. Kelly found him dead in his bedroom."

"Kelly, I'm so sorry. Tell me about it." Kelly sighed.

"I went to tell him dinner was ready," she began. "I heard him fall to the floor, and by the time I got in there he was…" Serena put her hand on Kelly's arm.

"Do you remember anything else?"

"No… actually, I remember…I thought I heard this high pitched keening," she said slowly. "But I'm sure that's just from the stress."

"Grief can do that," Serena agreed. "How are you feeling about it now?"

"We all cope in our different ways," Kelly said calmly. "I'm just tired." Serena nodded.

"What happened after Mr Spencer's death?"

"My sister, Rachel died in the same way, and then Jo a few days later. Justice found Rachel and Jo."

"Did she hear the keening sound?"

"What kind of question is that? Kelly already said she made it up!"

"Mom, calm down. I think Jussy mentioned a wail, that's the same right?"

"It could be," Serena agreed. "Now I just have one more question… this is purely background. Do you think someone could have a grudge against the family?"

"Get out now!" Mrs Spencer snapped. "How dare you come in here and ask that."

"Mrs Spencer, I mean no harm…"

"Mom, relax…" Kelly said at the same time.

"Get her out of this house, Kelly." Kelly nodded slowly and beckoned Serena to follow her.

"I'm sorry, she's very upset," she apologised. "There is an old family legend about an argument between my great-great grandfather and his brother…I'm sorry I don't know anything more. Its not even relevant is it?"

"Its ok, I hope I helped and I'm sorry for upsetting your mother," Serena said.

"Thank you for coming Jane, really, I think that may actually have helped Mom a bit."

Serena smiled again and walked out of the front door. She jumped in her Celica and drove back to the motel.

* * *

She fished her key out of her handbag and opened her room door. She quickly took off her shirt and skirt; she didn't like wearing it one bit, skirts were so impractical. She walked to the en suite and took the time to have a shower. She spent a long time just standing underneath the hot water. It began to get cold, making her decide to get out. She reached for a towel and wrapped it round her before walking back into the main room. She stopped short when she saw Dean standing in the middle of the room.

"Why are you in my room?" she asked, securing the towel around her. Dean looked her up and down before realising that she had asked a question.

"What?"

"I said…why are you in my room? Did you pick the lock?" Dean quickly put something in his pocket.

"No…" he lied. "I saw your car in the parking lot and when you didn't answer…"

"How sweet," Serena replied. "A little creepy but sweet."

"Sorry," Dean didn't know where to look.

"Did you find something out then?"

"Yeah, the Banshee isn't focused on the family; it's focused on people with secrets. I know hunters usually have the biggest secrets…"

"So you thought…"

"Uh, yeah," he replied. "I'll come back later…"

"Its fine Dean, just give me a minute." She went over to a set of drawers and pulled out some underwear and her beloved jeans and a brown jumper. Dean glanced at the underwear and looked away. Serena laughed at his reaction. She went back into the en suite and dried herself before putting on her clothing. She towel dried her hair and cringed as she saw how curly it was in the mirror. She liked her hair straight. She sighed and walked back into her room and saw Dean sitting on the edge of her bed.

"There," she said.

"I preferred the towel," he told her cheekily.

"You surprise me," she returned, laughing. She sat on the bed and waited for him to speak.

"Did you find out anything?"

"The people who found the victims heard the wailing, and according to Kelly, there was some family legend about a disagreement between two family members about 90 years ago. I don't know if that's relevant."

"I'll tell Sam to look into it," Dean said.

"Where is he?" she asked, realising for the first time he wasn't there.

"Still in the library, he'll find his own way home."

"Dean…" she chided. She laughed at his expression. "We should go back and help him."

"Yeah we should." Neither of them moved.

"Really, the sooner we go, the sooner the case will be solved."

"Yeah," Dean agreed again. She rolled her eyes. As much as she did want to stay with him, she knew they had a duty. She held out her hand to him. He glanced down at it and took it with a confused expression. She stood up abruptly and pulled him up with her. Her plan backfired slightly when they ended up standing a few inches apart. She could feel his legs through her jeans. They stood still for what felt like an eternity before she remembered they had to be somewhere. She stepped backwards and, still holding his hand, led the way out of her room, stopping briefly to pick up her bag and phone.


	6. Chapter 6

**I know I say it every time, but thank you for reviewing. It brightens my day!**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Sam blew out a breath. There was a lot in the books about Banshee's but the majority of it, in Sam's opinion, seemed too farfetched to be real, even in their lives. In one book the author believed the way of keeping Banshees away was to wear a lump of coal around the neck. One writer warned that Banshees lured the victims to a field and slept with them as a farewell present. Sam was fed up of reading them. He wanted to finish the job so he could go back to focusing on Dean's impending death. Dean had left him almost an hour ago, rushing off as soon as he read a passage in a book. Sam had to read the same passage before he understood why his brother had run.

"Hey Sammy," Dean called across the library; he was rewarded with a stern look from the librarian and a harsh "shhhh". Sam glared at him as he watched his brother and Serena hurry over. "You know, if she was thirty years younger…" Dean glanced back at the librarian and grinned. Sam sighed heavily.

"Anything new?" Serena asked, shaking her head at Dean.

"Nothing overly helpful," he replied honestly. Serena took out her laptop and started searching into the history of the Spencer family.

"What have you found?" Dean reworded her question.

"There are lots of different tell-tale signs of Banshees according to these volumes. One example is that Banshees appear before the death of the victim and leave lilies outside the door for seven days before the victim is killed."

"I didn't see any lilies in the house," Serena commented. Sam nodded, he hadn't either.

"Another says that Banshees guard the intended victims, they try to prevent the murders."

"So you're saying that the Banshee could be innocent?" Dean asked.

"It's a possibility," Sam said.

"If the Banshee is a guardian, what is killing these people?"

"It sounds like a pretty pissed off spirit to me," Dean replied.

"They go after a certain type of person," Sam disagreed. "This doesn't feel like the typical ghost."

"Hey, listen to this," Serena interrupted. "In 1907, Francis Spencer was found dead in an abandoned warehouse in the next town over. Nobody knew what he died of; there were no wounds of any kind."

"Let me guess, it wasn't just a heart attack or anything natural?" Dean asked.

"That would be too easy," Serena replied. "According to a local source, he and his brother Harold had been arguing about something. Harold had gotten into some sort of debt."

"This is all nice and vague," he said.

"It was a hundred years ago Dean," Serena responded.

"A debt?" Sam asked, ignoring Dean. "That could mean anything." Serena nodded and went back to searching. Dean picked up a random book and flicked through it. This case wasn't as easy as he had expected it to be. A high pitched noise suddenly assaulted his ears. He clapped his hands over his ears and put his head on the table.

"Ahhhh, what the hell is that?" He shouted over the sound. Serena and Sam looked over at him. They couldn't hear anything.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Serena whispered. Dean couldn't hear her. He fell from the chair onto his knees. The librarian looked over at them and put her finger to her lips. Sam smiled apologetically at her. Serena hurriedly knelt beside Dean and tried to pull his hands away from his face. "Dean!" He let her move his hands and blinked up at her.

"What happened?" Sam asked in an undertone.

"Let's go, now." He ordered. The others nodded and gathered up their things.

* * *

Twenty minutes later they were arranged in the Winchesters' motel room. Serena kept close to Dean's side; presently she sat next to him on his bed. Sam leant against the table opposite them.

"You heard the Banshee didn't you?" Sam asked. Dean nodded and looked at his brother.

"Guess somebody told the broad she could sing," he joked.

"That means it is the Banshee killing these people," Sam said, ignoring Dean's joke. "You're not part of the family, so it's not a warning."

"And now it's after you," Serena added.

"This works to our advantage," Dean replied, smiling. "Now we can see the bitch and blow her away."

"It's not easy to kill a Banshee Dean," Sam reminded him. "And only you can see it."

"That works for me," his tone was cocky.

"How do you kill a Banshee? Aren't they already dead?" Serena asked, ignoring Dean.

"So is most of what we hunt," Sam replied wryly. "A rowan wood stake blessed by an O'Neill should do it. That's what we used in Florida."

"You don't happen to have that still laying around do you?" She said, thinking how rare such items would be.

"No, you only get one use," Dean remembered. Sam looked at him in surprise. "What? I read it in his journal." Sam raised his eyebrows.

"I think our best bet is to ring Bela," he suggested.

"No way we're getting that bitch involved."

"It's the quickest way," Sam replied.

"No Sam, you know Bela, there's always a catch and that catch usually costs us!"

* * *

Serena had persuaded Dean to go with her to the sheriff's office. She figured that the brothers' may have missed something when they went before. Besides, they had a little more to go on now. Serena led the way into the building, she walked straight over to the desk, but Dean grabbed her arm.

"We haven't got a cover," he reminded her in an undertone. She grinned at him.

"Leave it to me," she replied. They were dressed smartly anyway, so she felt confident enough to mess around a little. She rushed over to the desk.

"I need to talk to the sheriff," she announced to the young man behind the desk. He looked up at the sound of her voice, and visibly gulped.

"I can help," he replied confidently. He smiled at her and she let herself smile back.

"No I don't think you can…I need a professional."

"Then I can certainly help," he boasted. "Anything for such a beautiful lady." Serena glanced at Dean and saw he had a fed up expression on his face. Serena grinned at the man behind the desk.

"Well then, James," she replied, glancing at his badge. "You could help by getting the Sheriff for me…" James looked from her to Dean and nodded. He left his desk and went around a corner.

"What was that about?" Dean whispered at her as soon as James had left. "We could easily have used-"

"Yeah but this was more fun," Serena replied grinning. He raised his eyebrows at her. "Ok, it was more fun for me." She grinned even wider when she realised he was jealous. She patted his shoulder and laughed quietly. "Its okay Dean, he's not as cute as you." Dean's face straightened into a smile.

"-woman, don't know what she wants." They heard James say. They both straightened their faces in time for James and the Sheriff to walk into the room. The Sheriff looked from Serena to Dean and nodded at Dean.

"You have more questions?" The sheriff asked him.

"Yes, my colleague has," Dean replied, indicating at Serena. The sheriff nodded and beckoned them to follow him. Serena waved at James and went to follow the sheriff. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Dean glare at James. She hid a smile and slowed down.

"Dean, who does he think you are?"

"Agent Young, FBI," Dean whispered back.

"I'm Agent Reeve," Serena told the sheriff as she walked into the office.

"This is still regarding the Spencer case?" The sheriff, Hank Peters, asked. Dean nodded. "Have you found something then?"

"No, but we're close," Serena told him confidently. "You'll be the first to know."

"How can I help?"

"There was an unsolved murder case involving the family around 1900 wasn't there?"

"Is this relevant?"

"If you could just answer the question," Dean said, he had his notebook in his hand. Hank nodded and thought for a minute.

"It wasn't unsolved," he replied. "It was a simple case of sibling rivalry. One brother shot the other out of rivalry."

"Are you sure?" Serena asked, hiding her confusion. "My research led me to believe there was never a conclusive cause of death."

"I'll have James dig up the case files if it's that important," the Sheriff said.

"Please," Serena replied. He nodded and called to James and requested the files. He shut the door again.

"Anything else?"

"Were there any lilies left after the murders?"

"How did you know? Kelly Spencer said they started appearing on the doorstep a few days before the first murder."

"Were they involved in any of the others?"

"Definitely the first and third," the Sheriff replied.

"Any suspects yet?" Dean asked.

"No, there's never a trace we can follow," he stated angrily. Dean nodded understandingly.

"Thank you for your time Sheriff," Serena said, she looked at Dean and they both left the office, pausing in front of James to get the files.

"Why did you ask for the files?" Dean asked as they made their way to the Impala.

"It doesn't hurt to know for sure Dean, and it would be a lot easier if this was a haunting. Though at this point I wouldn't put money on that."

* * *

Dean finally caved in and rang Bela after he found a lily on his bed in the motel room. She informed him that there was nothing like the rowan stake on the market, but if they were willing to pay $30,000 she would do her best to find them one. He had snapped the phone shut without even replying. Sam had promised to find another way around it. They were located in the library, hurriedly researching for alternative ways. Serena sat at a table with her laptop out on the table; most of the websites she visited were fakes, done by people that didn't even know such things were real. She gave up with the internet and started searching the database on her laptop. Dean looked over her shoulder.

"What's that?"

"It's like your dad's journal. My uncle was ahead of the curve with technology, he compiled all his research and knowledge into a database. Makes it a lot easier." Dean was impressed, John Winchester's journal was extensive, but Nate Harding's research was even more so. He nodded in response to Serena and turned back to the book he had in front of him – Irish Myths and Legends. Sam was at the other side of the library looking for more books. Serena leant over to read what Dean had in front of him; she rested against his shoulder to support herself. He was distracted from what he was reading and looked down at her.

"What does that mean? 'Banshee's are a sign from god that someone unworthy shall die'?" Dean shook his head and read over the line Serena had quoted.

"I'm not unworthy! Just proves these books are a load of ass," Dean replied.

"They must be, magic and the Christian God don't usually play well together."

**More coming soon! Thank you for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**

* * *

**Dean suffered the Banshee's wailing twice more before Sam figured out a different way of killing it.

"It's pretty simple really, we just need a recording of the Banshee's wail," he informed Dean and Serena.

"But how can we record it when only the victims can hear it?" Serena asked.

"It registers in the same way all EVP's do," he told her. "All we need to do now is wait for Dean to hear it again."

"If I have any hearing left," Dean responded sulkily. They didn't have to wait long, within the hour the older Winchester fell to his knees with his hands clapped over his ears. Sam pressed the record button on his Dictaphone and stopped it after Dean nodded. Serena was by his side throughout the assault on his ears.

"It'll come after me tonight won't it?" he asked.

"Maybe sooner," Sam agreed. He played back the clip and still heard nothing; he loaded it onto his laptop and played around with it. After a few minutes he pressed the play button again. This time the Banshee's wail was audible.

"Stop it," Serena said quickly as the sound started to hurt her head. Dean rolled his eyes, but Sam pressed the stop button.

"You're sure this will work?" Dean asked his brother.

"It should," Sam nodded.

"Should? That's great Sammy."

They were camped out in the middle of a wooded area. Sam had decided that they should try it in the open in case it didn't run as smoothly as he hoped. Dean sat in the middle of the clearing on a tree stump. He had a gun in one hand, more out of comfort than protection. Guns wouldn't stop a Banshee. Sam and Serena were a few metres away, hoping to trick the Banshee into believing Dean was alone.

"Will this work?" Serena questioned Sam. He looked at her anxiously.

"If it doesn't then we better look for that stake," he told her. Serena nodded; she didn't like the idea of Dean out there alone is there was no other way of stopping the Banshee. Her attention focused on Dean as she heard him cry out again and clap his hands over his ears.

"Show time," she whispered. She crouched down behind the nearest tree and saw Sam do the same, both ready to run out at any moment. Dean held the Dictaphone in his hand, ready to press play as soon as the Banshee appeared. Serena didn't like the fact that she and Sam couldn't see when it actually appeared, it could be there now for all they knew. She looked into the clearing at the thought, but there was no sign. Dean had fallen to his knees again, his head pressed to the floor. "How is he gonna be able to see it if he's staring down?" Sam shared her concerned look and walked closer to the clearing.

"Dean," Sam called in a loud whisper.

"He won't be able to hear you," Serena reminded him.

"Right," he replied. He rushed into the clearing as he saw Dean fly backwards. The Banshee was definitely there. Serena was level with him as they broke through the trees, but was shoved strongly into the tree she had just passed. She groaned and sank to the floor. Sam turned to look at her.

"Just play the tape Sam," she said. The collision with the tree had winded her. He nodded and closed the gap between himself and Dean.

"Sammy, it's behind you," Dean shouted. Serena realised he must still be able to hear the wail. Sam made to grab the recorder out of his brother's hands, but before he could he found himself flying through the air with a cut across his cheek. Serena's eyes widened and she hurried to the place where Sam had been. She kept her eyes focused on the tape recorder and managed to take it off Dean before the Banshee struck her. She grunted but didn't fall down. It struck her again knocking her into Dean, who was still crouched in on himself away from the sound. The tape recorder slipped out of Serena's hands as the unseen Banshee picked her up and struck her again, this time it's nails clawed into the skin on her neck and jaw-line. Dean had looked up when Serena crashed into him and saw the Banshee preparing to hit her again. He cringed as he moved and managed to press the play button. Serena cringed as the noise assaulted her ears. The Banshee still held her a foot off of the ground. Her eyes widened as the face of her attacker became visible inches from her own face. Sam skirted around them towards his brother. The Banshee dropped Serena as it clapped its skeletal hands to where its ears would be if it had any, much as Dean had been doing.

"Dean," Sam called over the noise, shaking his brother. Serena couldn't hear a word, but she could lip read. "Hang on." Serena got up slowly, wincing as she did, and looked around the clearing. She took the time to take in what the Banshee actually looked like as she hopefully wouldn't see one again. It was dressed in a blood red dress, and its face was leathery and stretched tightly across the protruding bones. The eyes were hollow pits and the teeth showed under the black lips. The noise was definitely weakening it. Then, as Serena watched, its head exploded, sending bits everywhere. Dean nodded unnecessarily and snatched the Dictaphone off of Sam. He switched the sound off.

"It's gone," he told them, breathing deeply. The brothers both stood up and looked at each other.

"Nice plan," Serena appreciated, picking Banshee off of her jacket. She looked up at Sam. "You have a little something there." She pointed to his forehead. He wiped it off quickly and checked his clothing for any more.

"I didn't think it would work," he admitted as Dean angled Serena's chin so he could see her cuts and already forming bruises. He shook his head.

"Now you tell us!" she replied to Sam. Then to Dean: "It looks worse than it is Dean. They're just grazes. Let's go, I need to sleep this off before I hit the road."

"What?" Dean said, pulling a face. Serena laughed as she realised he couldn't hear them. He followed as Sam walked towards Serena, heading for the way to the car.

**

* * *

(This is set after Fresh Blood)**

"Something about you has changed," Serena noted. She had received a tip about a vampire stalking the town. There had only been two or three attacks, but it was enough to worry Serena's source. It was her second day in the small town in Connecticut and she was still hadn't found a nest. She decided she needed help. They were seated at the desk in Dean's motel room, waiting for Sam to finish showering.

"I've gotten even better looking?" Dean quipped, making Serena snort.

"No it's not that…I can't put my finger on it." She shook her head. "Anyway, things seem better between you and Sam."

"We had a nice heart to heart after learning vampire-Gordon was after Sam."

"Takes a thing like that to bring people closer," Serena agreed smiling.

"You'd think we'd be closer then," he joked. "I was surprised you called."

"I needed a hand."

"That doesn't surprise me," Dean replied.

"In that case, get out of town Dean, I've changed my mind I don't need your help," Serena snapped. Sam wandered into the room and instantly wished he hadn't rushed out of the bathroom.

"You always do."

"I think you'll find we've been through this, Dean," Serena cried.

"Well, we obviously need to go through it again," Dean replied. "There is no way you're coming with us after last time."

"Oh come on, seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously."

"Why don't we skip the part where you try to leave me behind and I have to save your asses and you just let me come with you?"

"She has a point Dean," Sam added. Dean glared at him with real anger.

"It happened once," he defended. "Okay, maybe a few times."

"When will you start trusting me?" Serena asked.

"Around the time you can actually look after yourself."

"Stop trying to protect me Dean." She threw up her arms in annoyance and spun to face him again. "You can't get passed the fact I'm female and good at this!"

"I've known some great female hunters, Serena," Dean shouted, thinking of Ellen. He glanced at Sam, before grabbing Serena's arm and dragging her outside. Sam watched them leave and decided to give them space. Serena crossed her arms over her chest and glared expectantly up at Dean when he stopped next to his car. She leant against her car which was parked next to the Impala. "I just- it wasn't easy- you know whatever!" Dean threw his arms up in the air. "It doesn't matter anyway; you're just not coming, even if I have to lock you in here." Serena opened her mouth to shout back a torrent of profanities but she stopped. Dean had been about to open up to her. She took a deep breath and crossed the short distance between them.

"Dean, I understand," she said soothingly, she took another deep breath for courage. "You think I like the thought of you getting hurt, of you dying out there? Why do you think I followed you?"

"It's not the same. Me, I've been doing this all my life, this is my job."

"And for me it's just a way to pass the time? I may not have been raised from birth to be a hunter, but it doesn't make me any less of one! My uncle told me that ghosts and demons existed when I was 16, he trained me in two years, and just after I graduated he left me on my own to hunt. So I don't need you to tell me I can't do it Dean, cos I wouldn't be alive if I couldn't." Dean put his hands gently on her upper arms and rubbed soothingly. Serena nodded after a few minutes and pulled away. They got into the Impala and sat in silence for a few minutes.

"It's just we never run into other hunters this much," Dean said slowly. He nodded at Sam as the younger Winchester walked to the car. "Only Gordon and that's cos he wants to kill Sam. See why I ask?"

"Sure," Serena sighed. "I'll leave you to it if it's such a problem."

"Its not," Sam interjected as he put his bag down on the backseat through the window. Serena got out of the car and let Sam in to the back. "But this is our fight Serena. This vampire is after Dean and me now it knows we're here."

"Then you need me," she stated.

"Just this once I agree," Sam said. Dean nodded slowly.

"Fine," he agreed. He looked at Serena "But you're not leaving my sight." Serena glared at him. When would he learn she wasn't incompetent?

"If that's what it takes," she replied.

"Good. Sammy, look into where this vamp holes up," Dean ordered. Sam pulled his laptop bag nearer to him and sighed.

"I'd offer to do it Sam, but apparently I can't do anything on my own," Serena said. "And you know how much Dean loves to research." Sam grinned.

"It's alright really," he replied. His grin widened. "It means I get to stay warm and dry. Drop me at the library?" Dean looked through the windshield and cursed as it started to rain. He nodded at his brother's request and drove there quickly.

"Don't leave the building, Sammy," Dean told him. "We're not taking any chances."

"I'll call you when I know something," he said, nodding before he hurried into the public library.

"Where first then?" Serena asked brightly as Dean pulled out onto the road.

"The area around Magic," he said.

"The nightclub?"

"Yeah, that seems to be the hunting ground." They drove the short distance in silence, the only sounds where the engine and the rain pattering on the wind screen. Dean used the time to think over why he felt so strongly about Serena's safety, convincing himself that it was purely her inability to do it alone. Serena on the other hand was excited about the prospect of hunting a vampire. She never thought they actually existed. She had researched into it as soon as she had found out it was a vampire stalking the city and found that decapitation seemed the safest way of stopping them.

"Pull over there," Serena said as they drove passed the club. Dean nodded and stopped the Impala where she pointed. She jumped out of the car and waited for Dean to do the same.

"Someone ate their cereal this morning," he commented, shutting his car door behind him. She grinned at him as they met at the trunk. He unlocked it and wedged it open. She looked over their arsenal and picked out a sheathed blade. She unsheathed it and checked it was sharp. Dean did the same with another blade.

"Let's go," she said when they were both satisfied with their blades. Dean couldn't help but grin at her enthusiasm even in the rain, he shut and locked the trunk and followed her to the entrance of the club. "How can we tell…?"

"It's usually pretty obvious," Dean replied. "We should check out the alleys." Serena nodded and randomly picked an alleyway. They had been walking no more than 10 minutes before Dean stopped.

"Ahh crap, its here," Dean said suddenly, pulling Serena behind a wall. "We better wait for Sam."

"That's it!" Serena realised. Dean put a finger to her lips to make her whisper. "You're being careful for once."

"Careful, me?"

"Yes, that's what's so different… I used to think you were so reckless, now you're not." Dean watched as the vampire left the street and down an alley further away from them.

"I'm still reckless," Dean replied, his pride flaring up.

"Course you are, you wait here like a good little boy, and I'm going to find this thing."

"Serena, come on! This isn't the time to play Buffy."

"What, it's only a little vampire. Its okay, I'll make Buffy look like a sissy," she taunted. She stood up and moved away from the wall they were hiding behind.

"Ser- get back here…"

"No," she called back, unsheathing the blade in her hand. Dean glanced around in frustration, shielding his eyes from the rain. He looked back at Serena and found that she wasn't anywhere to be seen. He cursed under his breath and blinked as the rain pelted into his face.

"Serena?" He said. She didn't reply, Dean hurried over to where he last saw her and found her blade on the floor. "Serena!" he shouted. He ran down the street looking down every possible exit. When he couldn't see any signs of struggle, he pulled out his phone and hit speed dial.

"Hey man, I was just about to call you," Sam answered.

"Sam, the vampire has Serena," he all but shouted down the phone.

"What? How?"

"I lost her! I looked away for a minute…"

"Its okay, Dean," Sam soothed.

"How is it okay? You saw what happened to Gordon," Dean snapped. "I'm going to find the lair."

"Swing by and get me Dean," Sam ordered. "I think I know where it is."

"Fine," he agreed. "Five minutes."

* * *

Sam waited outside of the library. He had gathered his things as soon as Dean had hung up. Knowing his brother, the five minutes actually meant nearer to two. He heard the Impala's engine before he saw it. Dean pulled the car to an abrupt stop next to where Sam waited.

"Get in," he snapped. Sam nodded and hurried into the car. Dean hit the gas peddle before Sam had even shut the door.

"Dean don't you think you're-"

"If you say 'overreacting' I swear to god I'll-" Sam held up a hand to stop him finishing. The car lurched around a corner. "Where's the nest?"

"Close to Magic," Sam informed him. "There's an abandoned warehouse about two blocks from it."

"That figures," Dean said.

"Dean, we can't just rush in there," Sam reasoned as the car stopped at the warehouse Sam had directed him to.

"Watch me," he replied, stopping briefly to pull out another dagger.

"Dean…"

"What it's not like we have the element of surprise!" Sam paused, Dean was right; the vampire would be able to sense them anyway. He had thought Dean was rushing into it, and was surprised by the logic. He grabbed a dagger of his own and hurried after his brother.

* * *

**Thank you for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry it's been a few days since I uploaded! Thank you for the reviews!**

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Sam waited outside of the library. He had gathered his things as soon as Dean had hung up. Knowing his brother, the five minutes actually meant nearer to two. He heard the Impala's engine before he saw it. Dean pulled the car to an abrupt stop next to where Sam waited.

"Get in," he snapped. Sam nodded and hurried into the car. Dean hit the gas peddle before Sam had even shut the door.

"Dean don't you think you're-"

"If you say 'overreacting' I swear to god I'll-" Sam held up a hand to stop him finishing. The car lurched around a corner. "Where's the nest?" It started to rain as Dean sharply turned a corner. Just small droplets at first, but it quickly got heavier.

"Close to Magic," Sam informed him. "There's an abandoned warehouse about two blocks from it."

"That figures," Dean said.

"Dean, we can't just rush in there," Sam reasoned as the car stopped at the warehouse Sam had directed him to. The older Winchester jumped out of the car as soon as the engine was off. The rain was pouring down now. He squinted against it and shook the rain out of his face. Sam got out of the car and shut the door. The rain might just cover their scent.

"Watch me," he replied, stopping briefly to pull out another dagger.

"Dean…"

"What it's not like we have the element of surprise!" Sam paused, Dean was right; the vampire would be able to sense them anyway and it just stank of being a trap. He had thought Dean was rushing into it, but was surprised by the logic. He grabbed both a dagger and the arrows he prepared earlier and hurried after his brother.

* * *

Serena groaned and lifted her head up. She struggled against the rope that bound her wrists behind her back. There was very little light in the room she was in. Thick shadows surrounded her. She wasn't quite sure how she had ended up here; the last thing she remembered was walking down the alleyway away from Dean. She knew quite a lot of time had passed because she could hear rain pounding off of the roof above her; it had been a clear sky in the alleyway. Her legs were bound to the legs of the chair she sat on. She peered around the room trying to make out where she was and if she had company. It felt like a warehouse; and after all, wasn't it always a warehouse? The very fact that she was alive made her think she was bait, to lure the Winchesters.

"Sleeping beauty awakens," the blonde vampire walked into Serena's field of vision. She was young and petite, clad in tight denim jeans and a silver halter neck top. Hardly scary at all, Serena thought. Serena looked at the vampire curiously as the blonde walked closer to her. Serena moved her head as far out of reach as she could as the vampire started to caress her cheek.

"Don't touch me," Serena snapped. The vampire laughed and slapped her across the face instead. Serena sucked a breath in through her teeth, she might not look scary, but she was very strong.

"I don't need to keep you alive," she reminded her. Serena rolled her eyes at the cliché.

"I'll be on my best behaviour then," Serena replied sarcastically. The vampire glared at her. "Fine, if I'm gonna be stuck here for a while, why don't you tell me why I'm here?"

"Your friends killed my family," she stated.

"Family?"

"Dixon made me what I am. I went out to hunt and came back to find the Winchesters standing over his body. Its only fair I return the favour."

"That's all vampires seem to care about…revenge," Serena commented, earning her a right hook.

"I will end you myself," Serena swore as she felt her lip split open. She could taste her own blood in her mouth. The vampire laughed.

"That's all you hunters ever do: threatens. You make me laugh. I'm not just some newbie, Dixon taught me well." Serena pulled a face at her. "You can glare all you want Serena- yes I know your name- but in about, oh, two minutes, you'll be dead."

"It would make it easier for me to brag if you told me your name," she returned evenly while she tried in vain to free her hands.

"Sally," the vampire responded. Serena snorted, Sally the bad ass vampire? Sally's face contorted with anger and she struck Serena again.

"I was thinking of turning you, but who would want to be stuck with you for eternity?" Sally hissed. She took out a small knife and cut her palm. "Then again, it would probably hurt the Winchesters more…" Serena's eyes widened, feeling real fear. Serena sat back in the seat. She didn't want to die like this. This was how Gordon died, and he became worse than the vampires he had hunted. Sally stopped with her palm an inch away from Serena's mouth. She grinned happily and stood up straighter. Serena let out the breath she had been holding.

"Don't bother hiding boys," Sally called out. "I can hear you." Serena's heart leapt, Dean and Sam had found her. "I heard that too Serena," she added, raising an eyebrow. Serena saw a torch light flicker into life, and closed her eyes as it stopped on her. She heard a whoosh in the air and saw Sally catch an arrow before it could pierce her body. "Dead man's blood? Please I'm not an amateur." Dean rushed towards her and tackled her to the ground. Serena tried to turn her head to see what was happening but they were behind her. The torch light came closer and Serena saw Sam hurrying towards her.

"You alright?" He asked her. He bent down behind her and cut the rope with his dagger. As soon as she could move her arms she started untying her left leg while Sam started on her right.

"Fabulous," she replied. She stood up quickly and felt her jaw tentatively. It was already starting to swell, as was her left eye. She turned her attention to Dean and found him pressed against the side of the warehouse with Sally strangling him. She grabbed a knife that Dean must have dropped and hurried over to them. "Just can't leave you for a minute." She yanked Sally away from him and punched her.

"That's funny coming from you," he replied, he massaged his neck and shook his head. Serena continued to fight with the vampire; she managed to flash Dean an apologetic smile. Sally took the opportunity to knock her into the wall Dean had been against. Sam and Dean both rushed the vampire. Sam held her arms against her side while Dean put his dagger to her neck and pressed hard. He screwed his face up as he pushed harder. Sam groaned too and was pushed to the floor. The vampire, now with free hands, shoved Dean away as well. Serena frowned in disgust at the sight of Sally with her neck open. She got up slowly and walked over to the vampire, striking her hard in the chest. Sally was knocked to the floor, Serena sat on top of her, pinning her to the ground, and carried on where Dean left off. Dean rushed over and helped her finish the job. Serena pulled a face as blood squirted onto her. She looked at Dean and saw he had some on him as well. She laughed. He helped her stand up.

"I'm glad you're alright," Sam said to Serena, standing near them. He ran a hand through his hair. "Are we just going to leave her?"

"I don't know about you, but I just want to leave," Serena replied. "Where are we anyway?"

"Not far from where you disappeared," Sam told her. Serena nodded and followed the brothers out of the building. Serena noticed that Dean wouldn't meet her eyes at all on the way back to the motel. They left the car in the parking lot.

"Dean," Serena said as they walked to the Winchesters room. "Can I have a word?" Sam smiled at her and continued to walk. Dean stopped where he was but didn't face her. She waited for a few seconds to make sure Sam was gone and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Dean."

"Do we really have to do the touchy-feely crap?" He asked her, he looked over his shoulder at her before starting to walk away. She went after him and blocked his way.

"Yeah, we do 'cos you seem to have a problem with me," she replied. He looked up to the sky and then at her.

"I don't have a problem with you," he stated. "Can we drop it?"

"Talk to me," she said softly.

"What do you want me to say?" Dean started. "That I blame myself for the way your face looks right now?"

"Dean…"

"It's true though," he snapped. "I shouldn't have let you out of my sight."

"I'm a big girl Dean, and you weren't to know Sally was waiting. It's all part of the job." Dean scowled at her and shook his head.

"You nearly died, if I had been a few seconds later…"

"Again Dean, that was my fault... you know I can't help but taunt the undead." He smiled wryly at that. "Anyway, I make this face work don't you think? Adds to the danger vibe I've got going on." Dean frowned and felt the bruise on her jaw line. She winced at the pressure.

"We better clean your lip," he said. Serena could see that their conversation was over. "Hey wait, her name was Sally?"

"I know, it doesn't strike fear into the heart," Serena replied enthusiastically. Anything to kill the tension. They walked into the Winchesters motel room and found Sam on the phone. He glanced their way as they entered and held up a hand to keep them quiet. Dean shrugged and crossed to his bag, rooting around until he found the first aid kit. He beckoned Serena into the bathroom and quickly began to clean the blood away from her lips. Serena normally would have complained that she could do it herself, but she felt Dean needed it more than she did. Instead she chose to complain about something else.

"Why do they always go for the face? The one place you can't hide the marks."

"I don't think they count on us being alive afterwards," Dean joked. He finished wiping away the blood and turned her cheek so he could see the bruise on her jaw line. Serena sighed internally. It seemed she always had a swollen jaw. She cringed slightly as Dean pressed it. "I'll get you some ice."

* * *

They parted ways a few hours later. Serena wanted to check in with some other hunters she knew a few hours drive away and the Winchesters' headed towards Bobby's. It would take them most of the day, if not into the night to get to South Dakota and they wanted to get on with it. It had been Bobby that called Sam, asking if he had had any luck in getting Dean out of his deal. Sam persuaded Dean to visit Bobby, but didn't mention it was about the deal. They stopped in a motel for a few hours to catch up on their sleep. It looked just like any other motel, except this one was obviously decorated by a mad woman; it was full of frills and bows. The owner wanted to make it 'homey'.

"Ah!" Dean cried out, sitting up abruptly in bed. Sam, who was slumped over a chair, opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep reading up on demon lore.

"What happened?" he asked, immediately on edge.

"Man, I just had the weirdest dream: Serena, Ruby and Bela were friends, like Sex and the City girls. …" Dean explained. Sam laughed in surprise, trying to picture the dream.

"Dude, that's messed up," he replied.

"You're telling me," Dean said. "It was worse than that one I had about porn being illegal."

* * *

It was three days after they had parted company with Serena. They had been at Bobby's for about a day before they got down to business. Sam filled Bobby in on what had happened since they had last seen him.

"I think it's about time I meet Serena," Bobby stated.

"Why? She's legit," Dean asked quickly. "Sammy's already spiked her drink with holy water." Sam looked quickly at Dean.

"When will you let that go?"

"well she'd already walked through a devil's trap, but you still wouldn't trust her."

"Enough," Bobby snapped. "She may have contacts that we don't." Dean looked away from them both. Sam's eyes widened.

"You haven't told her yet?" Sam hissed.

"Told her what?" Dean played dumb.

"Oh I don't know, that your expiry date is in five months?"

"Uh-"

"If you even think the words 'it's none of her business,' or 'its better her not knowing' I will go call her and tell her myself."

"It's none of your business Sam," Dean snapped. Bobby looked at the pair and rolled his eyes.

"Open your eyes Dean; I haven't seen you like this with a girl since Lisa."

"We've known her 6 months, and you want me to spill my heart to the girl? She's nothing but a pain in my-"

"Really, so I'll tell her to leave us alone, shall I?" Sam replied and moving towards where his phone lay on the table. He took a step forwards and just as he had expected, Dean stopped him with a hand on the shoulder. "You need to tell her." He added before continuing into Bobby's living room. Dean exhaled deeply and ran a hand through his hair. The reason he hadn't told Serena was because he knew the look that would haunt her eyes. He saw it in Sam's and Bobby's. He didn't want to cause Serena to share the look.

"Kid's got a point," Bobby commented. "either way, I'd like to meet her. Doesn't hurt to meet another hunter with what's coming." Bobby followed Sam out of the kitchen.

* * *

**I once again thank you for reading! I'm glad I finally started to upload this now. I almost didn't.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry it's been a few days! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or Reaper (you'll understand that addition once you've read it!)**

**Please Review guys!**

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Dean managed to put off calling Serena for over a week as they got wind of a job in Michigan that they had to take care of, which involved killing some pagan gods. He made the call the morning after they arrived back at Bobby's. Mainly just to avoid Sam's gazes. Of course it wasn't that he didn't want to see Serena again or that he didn't want Bobby to meet her, he just didn't want to have to have 'the talk' with her. He wasn't the type to do things like that. He could tell Serena was surprised at his call and to hear that Bobby wanted to meet her, but she told him she'd be there in the evening. Dean gave her directions and hung up. Sam's puppy dog looks lessened after Dean informed them of that. One glance at Sam and Bobby told Dean that they were desperate to discuss his deal.

"I'm gonna work on the car," he added. "Leave you two to plot." He turned and left the house and drove the Impala closer to Bobby's workshop. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but it had been a couple of months since he'd checked everything was in working order. With the distance they travelled, it needed checking often.

Inside the house, Sam turned to Bobby. They were sitting in Bobby's study, piles of books surrounded them.

"I'm at a loss," Bobby started. "How do you get out of an ironclad deal?"

"There must be something Bobby," Sam replied. "A hoodoo charm? A new deal? There must be something in the whole of the supernatural-" Bobby put a hand up and talked over him.

"Sam, I have never heard of someone getting out of their deal. And before you get any bright ideas, you are not making a deal of your own."

"If we could find who the contract holder is…"

"That's probably the best thing we can do for now," Bobby agreed. "But that'll be like a needle in a haystack search."

* * *

Serena saw the sign saying "Singer Auto Self Service Salvage Yard" and turned into it. She was glad to have found the place, her eyelids were getting heavy. Her visit to her contacts was cut short and she was slightly annoyed at that. It wasn't often that she got to see them. The drive to South Dakota had felt long and had been uneventful. Having only stopped once for gas and food, she had made good time, but now she has hungry and tired. The car rolled to a stop outside what had to be Bobby's house. She took a deep breath and turned the engine off. For a few seconds she didn't move, but then realised she was being childish. She opened the door and stepped out of the car, surveying the area as she did so. Her gaze settled on a darker patch of shadow that was moving towards her. She tensed slightly, and grabbed the gun in holstered under the steering wheel. Then the figure stepped into the light and she relaxed. It was just Dean.

"Thought I heard a car," he said, wiping his hands on a cloth. As he moved closer, Serena could see the tell-tale grease stains on his t-shirt and skin.

"Something wrong with the car?" she asked, indicating to the grease.

"Nope, baby just wanted some attention." He smiled and put the cloth over his shoulder. He stepped round the car to stand in front of her and noticed her gun.

"Occupational hazard," she said, putting it back in its holster. Dean nodded and leant into the car to grab her bag. Serena took a few steps before Dean grabbed her arm gently and turned her round. He kissed her quickly but firmly.

"Hey," he said belatedly as he pulled back.

"Hi," Serena returned, grinning. "Someone's missed me." Dean chuckled and led the way into the house.

"How was your Christmas?" He placed her bag on the table by the door and began to lead her into the study where he knew Sam and Bobby would be.

"Not bad, I didn't even know it was December until I got to Maine. The tree gave it away. How was yours?"

"It was good, first one we've celebrated since we were kids." Serena nodded; holidays were not the most important thing in their line of work.

"Hey wait Dean." He turned to face her. "What's all this about?" she sounded slightly scared even to her own ears. Had they found out her secret?

"Bobby thinks you might be able to help with something," Dean shrugged. He was dodging and they both knew it. Serena nodded slightly and they carried on. They walked into the study and the single occupant looked up.

"Bobby, this is Serena," Dean introduced. "Serena, Bobby." Serena stepped forwards and shook his hand.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Serena, the boys have told me all about you."

"Well, Dean speaks highly of you," she smiled, feeling kind of awkward. Bobby's manner could be described as frosty.

"I'll get you a drink," Bobby said, standing up. "Whiskey okay?"

"Thanks," she replied, following Dean to the table.

"Where's Sammy," Dean asked when Bobby came back into the room with three glasses of whiskey in his hands.

"He's following up a lead," Bobby said, handing out the glasses. He watched carefully as Serena took a sip of hers. Dean figured out what he was doing, but didn't comment. He gave Bobby an 'I-told-you-so' look once Serena had downed the rest of the drink. Bobby nodded and smiled at Serena.

"What do you know about demon lore?" Serena blinked slightly. They had to know.

"In general? Demon's are skanks from hell that ride around in people's bodies. They're violent and sick. The only way to kill them is the Colt."

"And Ruby's knife," Dean added.

"Right, but you can exorcise their asses back to hell."

"Nice summary," Bobby nodded again.

"Why are you asking?" Serena asked curiously.

"I've heard some talk of some serious omens," Bobby replied. Serena yawned and quickly apologised.

"I'm sorry, can it wait 'til morning? I'm running on empty here."

"Sure, take the couch."

* * *

Sam had walked out of Bobby's house in the early afternoon and crossed to the car Bobby was letting him borrow. A contact, Howie Francis, had phoned Bobby back about his enquiry. Sam had volunteered to go instead of Bobby. He had to do something, sitting around without any ideas of how to save his brother was making him restless. Howie Francis lived two hours south of where Bobby lived. The drive took a little longer than it should have as there was been an accident on one of the highways. The weather brightened as he drove. He drove into the town that Bobby had written directions to and glanced down at the paper to see what the address was. He slowed the car down as he neared the house number he wanted. Francis lived in an old house in need of some repair, but Sam could see it was well protected against the supernatural. What neighbours took for silly squiggles, Sam recognised as sigils. He got out of the car and walked up to the front door. He knocked quickly and stepped back. Francis was expecting him so he knew it wouldn't be as difficult as going to other hunters' houses.

"Who is it?" A deep voice called from inside.

"Mr Francis? Its Sam Winchester, we spoke on the phone this morning." Sam heard three different bolts being scraped back and two keys turning. Francis was scared.

"Get in, quickly," he ordered. Sam stepped over the threshold and saw the edges of a devils trap under the doormat.

"You said you had some information that might help?" Sam reminded as Francis bolted the door up behind him. "Are you in trouble?"

"It never hurts to be over cautious," the older man said, smiling grimly. "And I heard a rumour on the grapevine that might prove useful." Howie led Sam into the kitchen and poured him a glass of holy water. Sam nodded and took a long sip from the glass. "If you can beat the devil at a game then you can get out of your deal."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked curiously.

"Well obviously, it just means a demon, the demon you made the bargain with, if you can beat him in a competition, you win your soul back."

"Where did you hear this?" Sam asked suspiciously, it sounded familiar.

"You think you're the only hunter with contacts?"

"No sir," Sam replied politely. "What kind of competition does it mean?"

"Something you're good at obviously."

Sam climbed back into his car and sighed. Before calling Bobby, he checked his theory on the internet. He then pulled his cell out of his pocket and dialled Bobby's number.

"Bobby? I think that was a waste of time. What he described is the plot of some TV show."

"What do you mean?"

"I think Howie is losing his grip on what is actually real. He's paranoid about demons coming to get him."

"Howie is one of the best hunter's I've ever worked with," Bobby stated.

"I'm sure he was Bobby, maybe he was just joking around. But he said you could get out of a deal just by beating the devil at a game. I just ran a search on the internet Bobby, it's the plot to some show called Reaper. Unless they know something we don't…"

"Alright," Bobby sighed. "I get the jist. I'll have someone check on him tomorrow."

"I'm gonna try something else and then I'll head back." Sam replied and hung up before Bobby could ask what. He didn't know if it would work, but he had the sense that it would. He drove out of the town and pulled into a lay-by. He stepped out of the car.

"Ruby?" he had written down a summoning ritual in case it didn't work.

"Hey Sam," a voice said behind him.

"Woah," Sam said turning to face the demon. "Are you following me?"

"Please," Ruby replied. "Like I don't have more important things to do."

"Right. Ruby, I need to know how to save Dean. You said you knew how." He drew the gun out of his jacket and pointed it at her. "I need to know."

"I do know how, but it's nothing you can do," Ruby replied. "But as you've asked so nicely, I'll jump to it."

"Tell me," Sam ordered. "How can you save him? I'm not going on blind faith here."

"You're going to have to, or its game over," Ruby replied.

* * *

Serena could hear Dean's even breathing, it was soothing. He was asleep on the floor a little way away from the couch she slept on. Sam had returned an hour or so before and had gone straight to the study. No matter how tired Serena was, she couldn't sleep properly. Not long after she would fall asleep, she would jolt awake. She had the distinct feeling they knew her secret and she felt she had to clear the air before the morning. At least with Dean. She sat up as soon as she had decided on that and knelt next to where he was sleeping. She nudged him gently and whispered in his ear.

"Dean, its Serena. Wake up!" His eyes opened and he looked up at her. That was one good thing about being a hunter: once you were awake, you were awake. There was none of that bleary eyed yawning.

"Serena? What's happening?"

"Nothing, don't worry, we're safe," she clarified. He slumped back down and moved over.

"You could have just got in with me, you didn't have to wake me up…unless…?" Serena swatted at him and smiled.

"Not now Romeo," she said lightly. "I have something I need to tell you."

* * *

**So, as you may guess, secrets get revealed in the next chapter! **Review if you want to know what happens!


	10. Chapter 10

**Here it is! Sorry about the cliffhanger! Enjoy...**

**Chapter 10  
**

* * *

"There's something I have to tell you…" Serena started. "Can we go somewhere else?" Dean looked at her as if he could read what she wanted to tell him from her face. She didn't want Sam or Bobby to overhear her and make it harder than it inevitably would be.

"Sure," he replied seriously. She nodded and stood up, grabbing a clean shirt out of her bag and quickly changing into it. While she was doing that, Dean stood up and stretched. He pulled on his jacket and looked at her expectantly.

"I'll drive," she stated, grabbing her own jacket. They stepped outside without disturbing Bobby or Sam and crossed to where Serena's car was parked. Dean didn't ask Serena any questions as they pulled out onto the road. He knew she would start talking when she was ready. The roads were deserted as it was passed midnight now. They drove in silence until Serena pulled into a space outside of a 24 hour diner she had seen on her drive to Bobby's. She killed the engine and smiled weakly.

"Midnight feast?" She stepped out of the car. Dean followed suit and they entered the diner in the silence that had been with them since Bobby's. They sat in a booth as far away from the waitress and the few other customers as possible.

"What's this about?" Dean asked finally. It had been twenty five minutes since she had woken him. Serena shot him an apologetic look and held up a finger. The waitress approached their table to take their orders. Serena ordered coffee for them both. The waitress went away and Dean stared hard at Serena. "Serena. What's going on? You drag me out of bed and drive me to a diner…?"

"Sorry about that," she replied sincerely. "I'll make it quick." She stopped again as the waitress brought over their coffees. She sighed and stirred some sugar into the drink. "

"Whatever it is… we can help," Dean promised, by now he realised she was putting it off.

"That's what I was hoping you would say," Serena smiled sadly. "I figured from Bobby you kinda know already?"

"No…Bobby's searching for something…else," Dean said vaguely. Serena nodded and took a deep breath.

"It wasn't a coincidence that we met in Kentucky-"

"What do you mean?" Dean demanded, suddenly suspicious. Serena took a sighed slightly; she didn't want Dean to react badly.

"This would go a lot easier if you didn't interrupt Dean," Serena said. "I mean what did you think? That I was so dense I didn't know about Azazel opening the gate to hell?" She leaned forward on the table. "That you and Sam were there? I tracked you down when I heard about it." She paused to gage Dean's reaction. He stared into her eyes and waited, she could see confusion in his. She took a quick sip of her coffee. "I was doing a job in Gothenburg, Nebraska at the time. I saw… what I thought then was a freaky natural phenomenon. A massive black cloud spread across the city. I investigated and found…" She leant away from Dean and put her hand through her hair. "I don't know what I found, a nest of demons maybe? It took me a few days to find it so maybe whatever the demon cloud did concentrated them in one place? Anyway, they knew I was coming, they were ready for me. I managed to 86 a couple of them, but I only just got out of there, with them promising to track me down. I must have seriously pissed them off." Dean ran a hand across his jaw. He had to admit to himself he was relieved, he had expected something worse than demons. He couldn't believe she had kept this from him though. He was worried for her, she could have been killed, and by the sounds of it, it wasn't over. But, she had deliberately used Sam and Dean as a source of protection.

"Good to know," he said irritated. Serena wasn't surprised; she had expected Dean to get mad at her for keeping it a secret. She didn't want to carry on but she wasn't finished yet. He reached into his pocket and threw a few coins on the table. "I've heard enough." He got up and exited the diner before Serena had time to process that he had left. As soon as she had processed it, she was on her feet and out of the door after him. She stopped briefly to peer into the darkness. She spotted him near her car.

"Dean wait! Let me explain," Serena called. He turned to face her.

"What more is there to say? You were using us? Well that's just fine and dandy. It didn't mean anything to either," he replied.

"That's not it at all! When I heard that you and Sam had also found a cloud like this and managed to escape…what was it?"

"Seven deadly sins," Dean told her bluntly. He took a deep breath. He was angry at feeling used, but he wanted to hear the rest of the story. He leant against the red Celica and waited. Serena stood in front of him.

"Right, I thought it was worth a shot finding you. It was a long shot. I'd heard rumours about Sam being the leader of Hell's army," She noticed Dean tense up again and look away. She laid a hand on his cheek, reassuring him she didn't believe it. He flinched away from her touch. She sighed and went on. "But I thought 'what the hell, either way I could die.' I was scared." Dean looked up at her after that. She could see he was arguing with himself. After a few seconds when he didn't do anything she continued.

"So I found you, and after all that happened I was too proud to ask for help. Especially when you didn't make it easy for me…calling me a rookie and all that… well I didn't want to give you more reason to think so." Dean cringed slightly at the memory. "And to top it all off, the demon we exorcised was one of them. They actually followed me." She gave a wry laugh. "You were right to use me as bait, it was me they wanted." He looked at her startled, that he hadn't expected.

"And then I tried again, in Montana… you know the dragon statue?" He nodded. "But again, I didn't want to ask. I know that was months ago, but I convinced myself that I could handle it. The first time I met Ruby, again I tracked you down. Another hunter gave me a heads up."

"You haven't said what 'it' is yet," Dean pointed out. Serena nodded, moving to lean on the car next to him.

"I couldn't find a reference to them in any books; I think they're older than that. All I know is that there were 13 of them."

"It doesn't ring any bells," he admitted. He understood why she had kept it from them now. And knew that finally admitting to it wasn't easy for her. After all, he didn't want to share his own secret. "I'll have Sam look into. I can't believe you kept this from me!"

"I wanted to tell you. Please know that I haven't lied about who I am, and how I feel…" She stopped, it was now or never, she supposed. "…About you, Dean." Dean looked at her in surprise; she coughed and added "Forget I said that, I meant how grateful I feel to you and Sam". Dean stared at the floor for a little while. He wasn't good in these kinds of situations. "You two have been good to me and I don't want to ruin it, please forget I said-" She was stopped abruptly by Dean's lips on hers. Her eyes went wide for a second before they closed happily as she let herself get lost in the sensation. It was every bit as good as the last time. Slowly, the kiss ended and Serena was sad at the loss of contact. She opened her eyes to see him watching her with a look of concern mixed with pleasure.

"Wow," she said, grinning. He smiled back happily.

"That's the best known way of shutting a woman up," he commented. She hit his arm and he cringed slightly. "You just can't hit lightly can you?"

"Maybe I save that skill for other people," Serena replied.

"Oh really," he said, pulling her in for another kiss.

"I could get used to this," she told him between kisses. Dean pulled away at that and wouldn't meet her eyes. She was instantly self conscious. "What is it?" Dean shook his head slightly. If he didn't say it now, would he actually ever tell her? After all, Bobby had made me bring her here to do just that.

"Speaking of secrets… I have one myself," he admitted, not taking his eyes off the floor.

* * *

"Five months," Serena repeated in disbelief. The world took on a dream like quality. More of a nightmare. The atmosphere couldn't be more different than it had been half an hour ago. Dean had explained the whole situation to her. They were standing closer to the diner now; Serena had walked off a bit after Dean had started to explain. Now Serena understood why Bobby had asked her about demons, she saw where he was going with it.

"Well, four and a half now I suppose," Dean added, he smiled at her without any joy.

"This isn't the time to make with the funny," Serena replied bluntly. "You should-"

"Have told you? Yeah I probably should have," he said, annoyed. Serena pulled her gaze away from the floor and looked up at Dean's face. She couldn't believe it, even in their messed up world. "Let's not forget you kept something from me as well!"

"I…I've got…There's somewhere I need to go," she said abruptly. She moved quickly, jumping into the drivers seat without even glancing at Dean. She didn't even realise she was leaving him stranded.

"Serena!" Dean called after her. When she started driving, he pulled his cell out of his pocket and dialled Sam.

"Sam, I need you to come get me."

"Aren't you in the other room?" Sam asked, laughing slightly.

"No ass, I'm at a diner 20 minutes away." Dean heard a rustling and figured Sam had moved to check if he was joking.

"How did you get there?" He asked. "Isn't Serena with you?"

"She was, she's just driven off. Sam I need wheels now." He had to give his brother credit, he figured it out quickly.

"You told her? Then you need to give her time," Sam replied soothingly.

"Are you gonna help me or not Sammy?" Sam shook his head, then realised Dean couldn't see him.

"She's not gonna do anything stupid," he said firmly. "She just needs to process it." Dean grunted slightly and headed towards the three other cars in the parking lot. He picked the one that looked the fastest and knelt next to the driver's side door.

"Really? If you haven't noticed, this family attracts stupid."

* * *

**Its a bit shorter than the others, but I feel you learn quite a bit! Let me know what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for the reviews! I love them! **

**Chapter 11  
**

* * *

Dean broke into the fastest looking car and hot-wired it – a valuable skill his dad had taught him. He wheel span out of the motel car park and onto the highway, he could see one pair of tail lights in the distance and followed them, his foot flat out on the accelerator. He knew what he would do if the situation was the other way round, he just hoped Serena didn't think like he did. His phone started ringing; he kept one hand on the steering wheel and fished his phone out of his pocket.

"Yeah," he answered.

"Dean, I think you were right to be worried," Sam told him, his voice rushed.

"What is it Sammy?" Dean asked, responding to his brother's voice.

"She came back to Bobby's and took a few things, Dean she took everything required…an ID-"

"Why didn't you stop her?"

"She's stronger than she looks-" Dean broke him off with a curse and snapped his phone shut. He accelerated even more. It seemed that Serena did think like Dean.

* * *

Serena knew she didn't have much time; she got out of the Celica and slammed the door after picking up her gun. It was risky of her to back to Bobby's but she had hoped Dean wouldn't think to call Sam. From Sam's reaction, she knew he had. Typically, she resorted to violence to make him get out of her way. Not only did she take what she needed to fill the box in her hand, she had taken a map. She didn't know the area well and it was quicker than driving around until she stumbled upon one. She went to the boot of the car and prepared the box she needed to bury, adding in the fake ID she had in her pocket, complete with photograph. She grabbed a shovel and jogged over to the middle of the road, quickly digging a hole and burying the box. She threw the shovel to the ground and pulled her gun out of the back of her jeans, looking around the crossroads nervously. She had never summoned a demon before.

"Well this is cute," a voice said behind her. She quickly turned round and saw that she was face to face with a black haired woman. She sucked in a breath.

"I'm here to make a deal."

"Obviously, Honey," the woman drawled, her blue eyes flashed to red. "And I know what that deal will be Serena."

"You know me?" Serena asked, surprised.

"Of course, you're Dean's little pet," Serena opened her mouth to argue, but she was cut off. "And your offer…it isn't very appealing. A Winchester soul is a valuable thing."

"Is it? I hear you called it 'barely there'? Somehow I don't think it would be a whole and beautiful thing." She paused. "Whereas mine? Oh I would call it both of those things. I'm newer at this job aren't I?"

"Go on," the demon ordered, intrigued.

"Dean's soul, Sam's life, for mine," Serena stated calmly. "But I want ten years."

"Ten years is asking a lot. Too much. They would never agree to it." Serena nodded and silently apologised to Dean.

"Yes, but think about it, Dean would be crippled by this. I could persuade them both to stop hunting. I think I could do that quite easily. Then they wouldn't interfere."

"Stay here," the demon ordered. "I will check." She disappeared and Serena exhaled. This had to work; if it didn't…how could she live knowing Dean was going to hell? She couldn't. She heard the rumble of an engine nearby and she cursed aloud.

"Come on, come on," she murmured. "Hurry up." The demon appeared again as if she had heard her.

"This is the offer, take it or leave it: you can take over Dean's deal. That means you have, oh four months and 15 days. If at any point it you even try to break it, Dean will go with to hell."

"Why?" Serena asked in shock.

"To make sure you stick to it," the demon smiled sweetly.

"Ten years or no deal!"

"It's not going to happen Sugar." Serena ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "I can give you four."

"Fine, do we shake on it?" In the heat of the moment it sounded a good deal. She was so focused on saving Dean, she didn't think about herself.

"Something like that," she answered, walking closer.

"You know, usually, this kind of thing would be a major turn on," Dean's voice came out of nowhere. "Two hot chicks kissing? Wow. But not this time." Serena swung around to face him and saw a gun levelled at the demon. Without hesitating Dean pulled the trigger, but the demon moved faster, dodging it. Then Serena saw the now familiar sight of the demon fleeing the host's body.

"Dean, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Serena shouted.

"Me? You're the one about to make a deal with the devil!" Dean replied in the same tone.

"So it's okay for you to do it for Sam, but not me? Dean, you can't go to hell!"

"I can, I made that choice."

"So did I, it was a good offer. Four whole years Dean, both you and Sam would live. I know you two can't live without the other," she was angry. "Do you want to go to hell?!"

"You're not going to hell Serena," Dean stated. He closed the distance between them, pocketing the gun. She pushed away from him and turned her back. He pulled her back to him roughly and kissed her hard. She responded out of anger and they stood there making the ground melt.

They parted eventually and Dean sighed. He stroked Serena's hair gently.

"Demons are tricky. You thought you would be saving me and Sam, but that would have counted as 'welching' by me. Then I would have lost you and Sam." Serena was horrified.

"I didn't realise…"

"I know. Serena I don't want to go to hell, but I'm not letting anybody go in my place. I don't regret making the deal." Serena pulled away from him. She was beyond tired now, but sleeping was the last thing on her mind. She took a few steps away from him and faced the crossroads again.

"This all feels like a sick joke," she said quietly. "What do we do now?"

"We concentrate on your demons and then we break my deal." Serena nodded and walked back towards her car. Dean glanced back at the car he had stolen and shrugged. He'd deal with it tomorrow. "I'll drive; you look like you're sleep-walking."

* * *

As Dean drove back to Bobby's he realised that they would have to face the music as soon as they arrived. He glanced at Serena, who had fallen asleep as soon as they got into the car. He nodded to himself and drove passed the entryway to Bobby's property. It was better if they faced the others when they were rested. He drove to the nearest motel and booked them in. Before waking Serena up, he pulled out his cell phone and dialled Sam's number. Sam picked up on the second ring.

"Dean, did you find her?"

"Yeah, everything's fine."

"Where are you?" Sam asked.

"We'll be there first thing in the morning," he replied, dodging the question. He didn't want to risk Sam driving to meet them.

"Dean, I need a little more than that. What happened?"

"Just wait 'til the morning Sammy." Dean hung up and went back to the car and nudged Serena.

"Wakey wakey," he said. Serena opened her eyes and stretched. She glanced out of the windscreen.

"This isn't Bobby's," she stated with confusion.

"I figured you'd actually want to sleep," Dean shrugged, opening her door and helping her out. Serena nodded her gratitude. She hadn't even thought about what would happen when they got into Bobby's house.

"Good thinking," she said as he followed him to their room. She walked straight over to the bed and sat down on it heavily. Dean shut the door quietly and took his jacket off.

"Go to sleep," he told her. She nodded and removed her jacket and shoes before getting under the covers. Dean smiled and got in next to her.

* * *

They were woken up by Dean's cell phone ringing. Dean opened his eyes and realised he had put his phone on the table. He sighed, unwrapped his arms from around Serena and got out of bed to answer it. Serena watched and reached for her own phone to see what the time was. It was gone 11 in the morning. Her eyes widened, but then realised they had gotten to the motel around four. She turned her attention to Dean as he looked at the caller ID.

"Sam," he told her before answering it. She climbed out of bed and stretched. Leaving Dean to his phone call, she crossed to the en suite bathroom and shut the door behind her. She splashed her face with water and stared at herself in the mirror. Her world had definitely changed over night, but looking at her reflection, nothing had changed. It was just internal. She turned away from the mirror and turned the shower on. She stuck her head around the door to see if Dean had finished his conversation yet. He had.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, he wants us to spill the beans as soon as possible," Dean replied.

"Well, he'll have to wait a little longer. I'm not leaving 'til I've showered." She closed the door and had a quick shower, glad that the motel provided soap. After drying off and redressing she went back into the main room and waited for Dean to have his shower. She left the room and went in search of a vending machine. The choices were limited but she got some snacks. Hopefully Bobby would have proper food. Thinking of Bobby reminded her how she had behaved the night before. She would have to return to the crossroads and dig up her box. By the time she walked into the motel room again, Dean was putting his shoes on.

"I found breakfast," Serena announced holding up her vending machine goodies. Dean grinned at picked a packet of chips out of her hand. He gave her the keys and went to check out. She waited in the car with the radio on.

* * *

Just over half an hour later, Serena pulled up outside of Bobby's house. She was glad Dean had taken her to a motel last night. She felt a little less out of control today. The sleep had restored some of her sense, but it had not dispelled her desire to get Dean out of his deal. And though it was slightly over shadowed now, she was glad Dean knew about her demon problem and wanted to help her. She realised he was looking at her.

"Let's face the music," she said, forcing an encouraging smile. They got out of the car and headed towards the front door. Serena saw the curtain twitch in the study window. She took a deep breath, the only thing she regretted was her behaviour towards Sam the night before. She held her head up and entered the house behind Dean. Dean led the way into the study, as he had done the previous day.

"Nice of you to join us," Bobby said dryly. He came into the study from the kitchen and handed Sam and mug of drink. Sam said thank you and took a sip of it. He placed it down on the table when he realised it was too hot to drink. Serena noticed the darker patch of skin where she had struck him. She cringed.

"Oh, she got you good," Dean joked, clearly noticing it as well. Sam glared at his brother, and wouldn't look at Serena.

"I'm sorry Sam," she said bravely. "I was in shock last night…"

"Its fine," Sam stated, but Serena could tell that it wasn't. Another thing to work on later.

"And I'm sorry for borrowing your things Bobby. It was rude of me."

"Enough of all that," Bobby interrupted. "I want to know what happened."

"Right, well," Serena started. "We went out for a coffee-"

"At 2 in the morning?" Sam asked sharply.

"What is it with you Winchesters? Can you not just listen to a story?" Serena asked in frustration. Dean smirked and nodded. "Anyway, I had something to tell Dean and afterwards he told me his secret."

"And then Princess over here decided to make her own deal," Dean summarised the rest. "But I arrived just in time to stop it and then we crashed at a motel." He looked at them as if challenging them to ask for more detail. Which, of course, they did.

"Oh well that's fine then," Bobby replied sarcastically.

"What have you been hiding Serena?" Dean glared at his brother, although he himself had been hurt by Serena keeping a secret, he knew Sam was just dying to say 'I-told-you-so'.

"She's being hunted by a group of demons," Dean explained before Serena had to. "We're going to help her."

"But what about your deal Dean?" Sam asked stubbornly. Serena suddenly realised why Sam had been off with her ever since they met. Her appearances were distracting them from focusing on Dean's deal.

"I'm sure you can multi-task Sammy," Dean smiled as if it were funny.

* * *

**Please let me know what you think, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter now so any opinions are welcome!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you for the reviews, I'm trying to publish the chapters as soon as I can!**

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Serena drove back to the crossroads later that day with Dean at her side. Serena needed to dig up the box she had placed in the ground the night before and Dean to make sure she didn't do anything stupid. He had gone back almost as soon as Serena had fallen asleep at the motel to deal with the demon's meat-suit. The poor girl was dead and Dean saw to it that she was buried properly. He had left the car where it was, there wasn't much he could do at that point. Serena pulled up on the side of the road and stepped out, retrieving the shovel from her car again and going to the middle of the roads and made light work of it. Dean leant on the hood of the car watching as she did it. He tilted his head as he watched her bend down and pick up the box. She threw a glance over her shoulder and saw him looking.

"Stop admiring the view, I thought you were moving the car?" She said, standing up straight. It was a cold day in January and even the digging hadn't warmed her up. She shivered slightly under her leather jacket as Dean approached. He took the box out of her hand and smiled at her.

"And now I will," he replied. With the box in his hand, he walked over to the car he had stolen.

"There was me thinking we actually trusted each other," Serena commented snidely.

"Just a precaution," Dean called back. Serena pulled a face and went back to her car. They had arranged it so Serena would follow Dean back so they could just abandon the car and leave. She got in and put the radio on and put the volume up, not caring what was actually playing. She revved the engine slightly to hurry Dean up. He grinned at her and accelerated away.

* * *

Two days later they were still at Bobby's house. Sam had his laptop on the table in front of him while Dean had a burger and fries he had driven to get. Serena sat next to Dean and stole fries off of his plate whenever he looked away. They had made an uneasy truce where Serena promised not to, in Dean's words, 'overreact' about his deal again. Bobby had decided to take the opportunity to check on Howie Francis himself after Sam's accusation of him losing touch with reality.

"The reason you couldn't find anything Serena is because you were looking at a group of 13 demons," Sam started. "Well I looked into the ancient lore, and I couldn't see it myself. Then it occurred to me: what if we only know of 12?"

"What do you mean?" Her hand paused half way to her mouth.

"From the description you gave me and the name you said you thought you heard-"

"Nakaran?" Serena remembered, eating the fry.

"Yeah, if I'm right, what they actually said was 'Makara'."

"Never heard of it," Dean said. He glanced out the window and Serena took the opportunity to steal more food, but Dean turned back sooner than she expected. "Hey!" She pulled a pleading face at him and he rolled his eyes but moved his plate closer to her.

"You wouldn't, the more common name would be Capricorn…" he waited for them to grasp what he had said.

"As in the star sign?"

"Makara is one of the Indian Rāsha – signs of the zodiac."

"So we're dealing with mumbo jumbo?" Dean clarified.

"It makes sense," Sam shrugged. "I mean the seven deadly sins turned out to be demons."

"But they symbolised negative things," Serena said, remembering what Sam had told her about it. "Star signs just-"

"Define a part of people's personality?"

"Exactly."

"There's nothing demonic about that," she argued.

"I know," Sam agreed. "So I think it's either that they hold some kind of sway over the people born under their sign or maybe they can use the negative aspects about the signs, like the seven deadly sins did. They made people into their particular sin."

"Hang on, I saw 13 though, this only accounts for 12."

"This is where it gets vague," Sam admitted. "There is some talk of a thirteenth aspect. You see each sign of the zodiac is supposed to rule for a thousand years-"

"Age of Aquarius," Dean commented.

"Precisely, well in some texts there is a thirteenth ruler, one that denotes pure chaos and destruction."

"And you think this is true?"

"It's my best guess," Sam replied.

"Well I took out two, and we all exorcised that other one, so there are only eleven left," Serena reasoned.

"So now, not only do we have to deal with Lilith, we have the Zodiac as well," Dean summarized. Serena looked between the Winchesters, taking in Sam's veiled annoyance and Dean's false cheeriness.

"You know what; I'll go take care of it. Thanks for researching it for me, couldn't have done it without you," she stood up and stretched.

"What do you think you're doing?" Dean demanded, standing up as well. Sam looked at her curiously.

"I think I can handle ten or eleven demons," Serena stated cockily. "And it frees you up to break your deal," Serena added, she glanced at Sam.

"Hey wait," Sam said, understanding her glance. "Don't think I want you to deal with this on your own. Sure I resented it at first, but hey the sooner we gank these demons, the sooner we can get Dean out of his deal."

"Thanks Sam, but really, this'll be a walk in the park," she stooped to pick up her phone from the table and walked away from the study. Dean who had been glaring at her followed her out.

"What is it with you and stupid decisions?" he shouted. "I have had it up to here with your-"

"With my what, Dean? I'm doing you and Sam a favour here."

"I'm not letting you-"

"Are you doing to follow me or put me in handcuffs? Either way it won't stop me." Dean fought the urge to make a joke about the handcuffs. Now wasn't the time.

"That's not a half bad idea," he said instead. Serena rolled her eyes and put her hands out in front of her.

"Go on then," she waited a few seconds. "Yeah that's what I thought." Dean sighed and tried a different tack. He took one of her hands.

"Serena," he said softly, forcing down his anger. "Sam was right, the sooner we deal with your problem, the sooner we can sort mine out. I'm not letting you get yourself killed."

"I didn't suggest it for Sam's sake, I don't care if he hates me," Serena replied stubbornly, they looked at each other for a while. Serena sighed. "Fine, I promise I won't go do anything stupid. Purely because it'll be easier this way. I could do it myself."

"Undoubtedly," Dean agreed, smiling at her tone.

"I'm going for a drive," she stated. "Don't give me that look, I gave you my word. Nothing stupid."

* * *

Serena sighed and walked out of the house. She needed to clear her head, so she did what she always did in times like this. Her Celica was parked next to the Winchesters' Impala. Her keys were buried deep in her pocket and she had to stop to fish them out. She took off her coat before sitting down in the driver's seat. Dean hadn't wanted her to go out alone but she had promised him not to leave the car. She put her foot down as she pulled out of the Bobby's drive way, enjoying the squeal of the tyres. Muse blasted out of the speakers. Since she had first run into the group of demons she had been terrified of them, but now that Sam had figured out who they were, she felt that they had a chance of sending them all back to hell. It also felt great that she didn't have to mind what she said to the brothers now. She slowed down at an intersection when the music flicked into static. The engine started stuttering as well.

"Oh f-" she began. She pulled a gun out from under her seat and grabbed her phone. She had enough signal to send off an SOS text to Dean before it too stopped working. Not wanting to be caught unprepared, she stepped out of her car and peered into the woods on the far side of the road. If she had been paying attention to where she was going she would have known not to go into a quiet section of the road. She blinked and was shocked to see three figures appear out of nowhere, she blinked as one of them flickered in and out of sight. So they were using spirits again.

"Serena," the female greeted. She was blonde, with a scar across her chin. "Do you know how long we've waited for you to be alone?"

"All your lives?" Serena shot back sarcastically. "It's taken you long enough; it's been like six months."

"Still with the attitude," the other demon commented. This one was broad and ugly, like he had been hit in the face way too many times. "Yet your bodyguards aren't here."

"Yes, it was inspired going to the Winchesters'," Blondie agreed. Serena shrugged and remained silent. She was terrified inside and she knew the demons knew that, but her pride wouldn't let her act afraid. "We have a score to settle."

"Oh yeah, I managed to beat a few of you," she grinned mockingly. The man held out his hand and flattened Serena against the side of her car with his demonic powers. He took a step forward, and fell flat on his face, black smoke issuing from his nose and mouth.

"Dhanus," Blondie shouted in shock. She rushed over to the collapsed form of the demon. Serena dropped to her knees as the crushing force pinning her disappeared. She couldn't understand what had happened until Dean and Sam stepped out of the woods behind the demons.

"Sorry to crash the party," Dean said. "But it just looked like a blast." Sam had a book open in his hand and started to read from it again, but the female demon left the human body she possessed and fled in a cloud of black. Serena let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Dean hurried over to her and knelt at her side. "Are you alright?" Sam came to stand next to him.

"I'll live," she replied, breathing heavily. "Where's the spirit?" Dean helped her up and supported her weight and sat her in the passenger seat of her Celica.

"It vanished when the demon was exorcised, I think" Sam asked warily, as Dean shut the passenger door.

"Let's not stick around to find out."

"You go, I'll make sure," Sam replied. He put the book in the inside pocket of his jacket.

"See you at the palace," Dean nodded and tossed him the Impala keys. Sam jogged back to where the Impala had cut out as Dean walked round to the driver's side. He got in quickly and turned the Celica around.

* * *

Sam went to the trunk of the Impala and pulled out a shotgun. He checked that it was loaded and surveyed the area. He had a feeling that the spirit was tied to the demons' will and if he was right, that would mean that it had been sent back to wherever it was spirits went to as soon as the demons had been exorcised. The area was silent apart from the distant sound of traffic. He turned round in a circle to better see the area. He jumped as he saw a woman in front of him, but raised the shotgun.

"Ruby," he greeted, lowering the weapon.

"Haven't got rid of her yet then," she commented, not bothering to say hi as usual. Sam winced at the remark. "I'm surprised at you Sam. I thought you'd want to concentrate on your brother and Lilith, but instead you're letting him get distracted by some bitch with a death wish."

"There are so many things wrong with what you said," Sam replied. "She was the friend you were warning us about wasn't she? Or is there someone else?"

"It was her," Ruby stated. "She just had to stumble in on the biggest family of demons she could find didn't she?"

"What is your problem with her?" Ruby glared at him and folded her arms.

"She's just more trouble than she's worth." Sam tipped his head back and laughed.

"I get it. She's messing up your plans," he said. Ruby's glare became for extreme.

"You know what you need to do," she said simply. "It's not just Dean that's being distracted."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, frowning.

"You're losing all your college smarts," Ruby mocked. "Get rid of her, refuse to help. Dean's running out of time."

* * *

**I love writing Ruby! What are your thoughts on this chapter?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Keep those reviews coming pretty please! I like to know what you think!**

**Chapter 13  
**

* * *

Dean and Serena were sat in her motel room the next day. They had left Bobby's that morning after they had exhausted Bobby's collection of books. Sam was at a nearby university library, looking into demonic spirit control. Serena was lying on her stomach half watching the television in the corner, while Dean was sat on the other single bed staring into nothingness.

"I want you to travel with us from now on," Dean said, making Serena jump slightly. She had all but forgotten he was in the room, he'd been so silent. She repositioned herself so she could easily see him. "I know you kinda have been in your own way, but I mean leaving your car and staying with me…us…the whole time."

"I'm not leaving my car! That's like asking you to leave the Impala." She sat up abruptly in shock at the thought of leaving her precious car, but it didn't pass her notice that he wanted her close by.

"You can keep it at Bobby's," Dean replied. "I want to make sure those demons don't get a chance to get you." It was a small sacrifice for her staying alive she supposed, and a good way of working with Sam to save Dean.

"Alright," she agreed. Dean was surprised it had been so easy, and then remembered that was what she had been hoping for all along.

"Let's drop it off as soon as possible then," Dean suggested. Serena stood up and sat next to him on the bed, taking his hand.

"I'm worried," she said quietly. Dean put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair.

"It'll be easy," he said cockily. She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.

"But they're using spirits," she said after a few minutes. "I've never heard of demons using spirits." Dean remained silent and rubbed her back. He was worried by that as well.

"Shouldn't we be helping Sam?"

"Nah, that's the great thing about having a geek brother," Dean replied. "He actually enjoys these things." Serena nodded, knowing it was mainly true.

"Hey, how did you find me so quickly yesterday," Serena asked, the thought suddenly occurred to her. She thought back to how far she had driven before her car had cut out, it didn't make sense that it had only taken Dean and Sam to arrive.

"I had a bad feeling," he replied honestly. "So we followed you."

"Well, thanks," she said. "Just don't make a habit of it, or I'll think I have a pair of stalkers."

* * *

Sam looked from Dean to Serena and shook his head. The three of them were sat at a little table close to the bar in a dingy saloon. The Winchesters had just escaped from Colorado after their incarceration and subsequent battle with demons. Serena had stayed at Bobby's, she had chosen to help him look into a separate case rather than chase Bela. The Winchesters had returned to Bobby's afterwards to pick her up and check in on Bobby. Now in the saloon, they had not moved from the table in a good three hours, apart from to get another round in and to use the facilities. After the day long drive from South Dakota to Boston, they were having an evening of relaxation before they embarked on a job the next day. Dean and Serena were sat opposite each other and had been ignoring Sam for at least 10 minutes. Serena had her arm lying across the table next to her drink and was leaning towards Dean. Sam watched as Dean reached out and held her hand. Sam was surprised, he had never seen Dean act tender, but it warmed his heart to see his brother like this. He just couldn't shake the fact that it would be short lived.

Serena was smiling broadly as she took a sip of her drink using her other hand. Dean was looking at her with a look that, if Sam hadn't known his brother, he would think was complete adoration, but Dean didn't ever…did he? Sam stood up and slapped his hands on the table.

"Same again?" He asked. Dean glanced at his brother, as if remembering Sam was with them. He nodded his agreement. Serena began to protest, but Dean laughed and she shrugged and nodded. Sam shook his head and walked the short distance to the bar. He ordered the drinks and pulled his wallet out of his jacket pocket. The barman, an old guy that looked like he belonged to Hell's Angels, placed the drinks in front of him and Sam paid him. He walked back over to their table and placed the two beers in front of Serena and Dean before reaching for his coat.

"I'm gonna call it a night," he informed them. They both looked up at him. The motel was literally two buildings away from the saloon.

"Night Sam," Serena said sweetly.

"Yeah, 'night Sammy," Dean added.

"Don't be late," Sam reminded them. "We start early tomorrow."

"Not all of us need beauty sleep," his brother said, grinning. Serena drank the remains of her old beer to hide her laughter. She waved at Sam as he turned to leave.

"Now, where were we?" Dean asked when the bar door swung shut behind Sam.

"I don't remember," Serena joked. She was distracted as he started to rub the back of her hand with his thumb. "Oh I remember now. Yeah. You were saying just how much you adore me!" Dean grinned but shook his head.

"I don't think that was it."

"Dean, I don't wanna talk about it now," Serena replied, she started to pull her hand away, but he held on tight.

"Usually, I'm all for not talking about these kinds of things," he stated. "But we have to."

"But not now…" She begged. It had been such a carefree evening. Dean nodded, giving in to her. He usually avoided these conversations like the plague. Serena sighed and slouched back in her chair. She couldn't think of a way to get back to their care free banter. Dean frowned, he hadn't wanted to ruin the evening but it seemed he had. He stood up and pulled her up as well. She looked at him in confusion but allowed herself to follow him.

"Come on," he said as he led her outside to the Impala.

"Dean, you're not driving," she ordered as she realised he intended to take her somewhere. They had both had a fair bit to drink. Dean turned to face her and flashed her a daredevil smile at her. "No!"

"Come on!" He repeated. She shook her head and lent against the side of the Impala. She folded her arms across her chest. Dean laughed and lent next to her. "Fine, here is good."

"Why are we out here?"

"I wanted to show you what the world has to offer," he said quietly. "When I'm gone…"

"Dean…"

"No, when I'm gone, I don't want you mourning me Rena," Dean told her honestly. "There's so much out there for you to do and see. Go have a proper life, not this waste of one we have."

"Waste? Dean, look at how many people we've saved," Serena replied quickly. She turned and stood in front of him. "This is a proper life. I mean can you see me in a little house with a white picket fence?"

"Yeah," he said softly, he pulled her towards him so that she lent against him.

"Well I can't," she countered stubbornly. Dean smiled at the defiant look on her face. He knew that if it were the other way round, he would have argued the same. He didn't regret his decision one bit, Sam's life was more important than his own, but he was upset at the timing of it all. Serena rested her forehead on his shoulder. He rubbed her back slowly to comfort her. After a few minutes, Serena began to kiss his neck; he stood up properly and pushed her against the car so that it was Serena with her back to it. He found her mouth and they shared a kiss fuelled on passion and desperation. They needed each other now.

"Come on," Serena whispered breathily. She pushed him off her and led him quickly to her motel room.

* * *

In a motel room across the hall from Serena's room, Sam woke up at 4.30am as his alarm rang out. He groaned and rolled over. Dean's bed was empty and untouched. He sat up quickly and threw some jeans and a shirt on. His first thought was that Dean was in danger. After all, he couldn't really remember a time that Dean had not returned, no matter what or who he was doing. He pulled a gun out of his bag and hurried into the corridor, stopping outside Serena's door. He banged on the door and waited. He heard some rustling inside. The door opened to reveal a blurry eyed Serena wrapped in a sheet.

"Sam, what's wrong?" she asked. "What time is it?" She stifled a big yawn.

"Dean's miss-" Serena opened the door wider and Sam peered in. He saw his brother asleep in bed, his eyes widened. "Oh…" Serena glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table.

"Is it time to leave?" She asked.

"Uh yeah, well in half an hour," Sam told her. Serena's alarm went off as Sam finished speaking. Dean stirred in bed and opened his eyes. He reached out and hit the alarm off button and glanced at the door and waved at his brother. "I'll leave you to get ready."

"What was that about?" Dean asked as Serena shut the door. She tightened the sheet around her and walked back over to the bed.

"He woke up alone and was worried," Serena shrugged. She yawned again and ran a hand through her hair. On the edge of her senses she could feel the effects of the alcohol from the night before, but she was long passed getting hangovers. She sat down on the edge and Dean leaned over and kissed her.

"Morning," he said. She smiled and kissed him again.

"Good morning," she replied. "We have half an hour before we leave. I'm gonna have a shower, maybe you should go talk to Sam…he looked a bit…surprised." Dean nodded and Serena walked into the bathroom.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Serena walked into the diner attached to the motel. She saw Sam and Dean sitting opposite each other at a table and walked over to it.

"Just give me time to have some caffeine," she announced, sitting down next to Dean. Sam glanced at the clock on the wall and nodded as a waitress came over to take her order.

"Dude, relax we have an hour," Dean replied.

"It takes at least 15 minutes to get there," Sam reminded him. Dean waved the comment off. The waitress came back, poured Serena a mug of coffee and placed a plate of toast in front of her. Serena thanked her, but the waitress ignored her and went away.

"Gotta love the 24-hour diners, the workers are so pleasant," she said to no one in particular. She took a sip of her coffee before eating the toast. She wolfed it down and drank the rest of her drink. The Winchesters' had been sitting in silence waiting for her to finish. "Ok let's go." They all stood up and Serena tossed some coins on the table to pay for her order. Sam led the way out of the diner.

"This haunting…it will take the usual won't it?" Serena asked Dean. "Nothing extra special?"

"Standard," he promised her.

"As long as we salt-and-burn before the clock strikes 9am," Sam added.

"Well we know where the bones are, we know there's nothing else tying the ghost here. Easy," Dean grinned. He chucked the keys at Sam. "You can drive, I'm counting some sheep." Sam glanced from Dean to Serena and nodded as he hurried to the driver's side.

"We just have to make sure he doesn't kill all the commuters," Serena said, getting into the front seat.

"That's why we're splitting up," Dean replied. When they were all in the car, Sam pulled out of the motel car park and accelerated down the road.

"I'll drop you off at the entrance and then-"

"Go to the creepy house," Dean finished. "Got it." He closed his eyes and tried to get comfy. "Wake me up when we're there." Serena rolled her eyes and stared out the window.

"Nap time for you as well?" Sam asked quietly, knowing how quickly his brother falls asleep.

"Nope, I'm awake," she replied, she smiled at him. "Thanks to the caffeine." He nodded and turned off onto a side road.

"Look, Serena," Sam started after a few minutes. "I want to apologise."

"What for?" Serena asked, confused.

"Some of the things I've said may have sounded…"

"Harsh? Unreasonable?" she supplied. Sam chuckled and held up a hand to stop her.

"Yeah, both of those. I just hope you can see why I said them now. Dean doesn't have long, and I want him to enjoy the rest of his life, but it's not the same for you." Serena stared out of the windshield; she finally understood Sam's behaviour, his choice of words.

"And there was me thinking you just didn't like me," she replied, trying to lighten the atmosphere a little. Sam cringed as he realised how Serena had perceived it. He glanced at her a few times.

"No, I was worried about Dean, and you," he reiterated.

"And now?" Serena asked.

"I still don't think it's a good idea," he replied hesitantly. Serena nodded slowly. She obviously didn't agree with him. "But I won't get involved."

"Thanks, Sam," she said, and she meant it. Dean snored loudly in the back seat and woke himself up. Serena and Sam started laughing at his puzzled expression.

"What?" he asked. They continued to laugh and didn't reply. He pouted at them and crossed his arms.

"Right here you are," Sam said. Serena and Dean both nodded and grabbed their bags.

"Good luck," Serena said to Sam.

"Don't take too long," Dean added. Sam pulled up outside the train station and watched as they got out of the car. Dean came round to the driver's side and tapped on the window. "Gimme' the keys Sammy." Sam sighed and pulled the keys out of the ignition. Dean grabbed them quickly and unlocked the trunk. He pulled out two sawn off shotguns and handed Serena a pistol and a silver dagger. He shut it and handed Sam the keys. Sam drove off after meeting Dean's eyes.

* * *

**Any questions? Feel free to ask!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

Serena stood by the entrance to the station and waited for Dean to reach her. She had her gun tucked into the back of her jeans as always and had a blade in the inside pocket of her jacket. Dean carried the shotguns in the bag slung over his shoulder. She used the time to look at the information screen.

"The 5:54 train?" she asked when Dean stopped next to her. Dean nodded. "Its on time, we better get to platform 3." She led the way down the stairs and stopped at the barrier machines, she didn't have a train ticket. Dean rolled his eyes and jumped over them. Serena smirked and followed suit.

"If anyone asks, we have badges," Dean said over his shoulder. There weren't many people around at the moment, but they knew it would get a lot busier, just in time for the haunting.

"Tell me again why we can't just salt the edges?" Serena asked. "It'd be easier."

"Cos we need to distract the Chuck long enough for Sam to destroy the bones," Dean explained. "Sometimes the spirits appear where they're buried to protect the bones."

"This one's definitely powerful enough," Serena commented. Chuck Rogers had killed six commuters and then himself sixteen years ago, and each year his spirit came back to kill those in that particular carriage. Before last year Chuck had only killed one or two people, but last year it was close to ten.

The train arrived at 5.49am and Dean led Serena into the fourth carriage. They were the first to enter the carriage.

"Try and stop people from getting in," Serena told him. He put his bag down at Serena's feet and hurried to the other end of the carriage between the connecting door and the exit. He stood there and when he heard the door slide open, he jumped theatrically and put a hand over his mouth.

"Ahhh, I just saw a rat! That's got to be the biggest rat ever! It was the size of a dog!" he shrieked. Serena looked over her shoulder at him and turned her burst of laughter into a cough. His attempts did not stop an elderly couple walking passed him and sitting in the middle of the carriage, looking at Dean as if he were crazy. Serena sighed and shook her head. She had successfully turned away a teenage boy and a middle-aged woman, without any fuss or drama. Dean glanced over at her and shrugged.

The train started to pull out of the station. They had about five minutes. Serena thought quickly; there must be a way to get the couple out of this section of the train. She beckoned Dean over with a finger. She could only think of one way that would make them move. Dean looked confused, but walked towards her. She met him half way, conveniently next to where the elderly couple were seated. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him into a passionate kiss. The couple tutted, but made no move to leave. Serena rolled her eyes and pushed Dean's jacket off of his shoulders. If he was surprised he didn't show it. He pulled her closer to him and unzipped her leather jacket. She helped him and shrugged it off. She opened her eyes and looked sneakily at the couple. The old woman was glaring at them while her husband watched in amazement.

'Right,' she thought. 'Time to step it up again.' She pushed Dean onto a nearby seat and straddled him. The lady sighed in disbelief and stood up. Her husband didn't notice and carried on watching.

"Come on, George," she ordered. The man tore his eyes off of Dean and Serena as they carried on kissing and stood up. He picked up his bags and shuffled after his wife. The doors slide shut and Serena pulled away from Dean. He looked at her in confusion, slightly dazed.

"Hey, I'm not finished," he told her, trying to pull her back to him. She laughed and stood up as he shook his head. "Knew you couldn't resist me."

"Hardly, Dean," she replied. "It was just to get them out of the carriage. And it worked. Unlike your attempts. Now come on, he'll appear in a minute." She checked her watch and pulled out her pistol. Dean stood up slowly and grabbed his bag off of the floor. He pulled out a bottle of salt and poured it in front of the doors and windows of the carriage.

"We'll finish that later," he vowed. She grinned at him and her eyes slid passed him as Chuck appeared. She could see the bullet wound through his head as he turned to face them. Dean yanked out his shotgun and aimed it at the spirit. Chuck shook his head and flung out a hand. Dean flew backwards and hit his head as he was slammed into one of windows. He fell and landed heavily on a seat.

"Dean," Serena called. He didn't answer her. She turned her attention to Chuck and saw that he was only inches away from her. He raised his hand again and sent her flying into the door. He didn't let go of her and she hung suspended against it, her feet four inches off of the floor. She couldn't move anything, but her eyes. Chuck grinned manically and pulled out a knife. Serena's eyes widened. Why would the spirit have a knife? He had shot everyone. Her thoughts flickered to the original newspaper article and mentally hit herself. She remembered reading that some of the victims had cuts on their bodies, the experts believed it was from shattered glass. Apparently they were wrong. Chuck flickered in and out of sight and raised the knife. She tried to move out of the way, but was powerless. He touched the knife to the skin of her upper arm and slowly drew it across. She called out in pain and watched as blood began to pour out of the wound. Chuck's grin widened as he cut across her collarbone to her shoulder.

"Dean," she managed to shout. "Wake up!" He didn't stir. She tried with all her might to reach around to the silver dagger, but she couldn't even move her arm. Chuck raised the knife to her stomach, but paused as Dean's phone rang. Both the spirit and Serena watched as Dean jerked awake and reached into his jeans pocket. He put it to his ear and listened. He looked up and his eyes widened.

"No, Sammy. He's very still very much here. There must be something else," he snapped, then waited. "Well hurry up!" He shut his phone and in one swift movement aimed his shot gun at Chuck and pulled the trigger. The spirit disappeared and Serena slumped to the floor. Dean rushed over to her and looked at the cuts.

"They're pretty deep. How you doing?"

"Peachy keen," Serena replied through gritted teeth. "What did Sam say?"

"That he'd burned the bones," Dean told her. "There must be something else." Dean gingerly touched the back of his head.

"How the hell did your phone work?"

"I don't know, maybe he's not that strong…"

"He's back," Serena announced and shot him with her reclaimed pistol. They stood up in unison, both temporarily forgetting their injuries, and walked further into the carriage. "Think Dean, what else could be keeping him here?"

"We'll it can't be blood or anything," he replied. "This carriage must've been cleaned like a million times."

"So what else could it be?" she asked. "A possession? Like the murder weapon? Or that knife?"

"Could be," Dean agreed.

"Tell Sam to look for a knife then," she ordered as she shot at Chuck again. Dean nodded and pulled his phone out again.

"What if it's unfinished business instead?" she said aloud as he hit speed dial.

"Then we'll have to play Jerry Springer," he replied. "Sam? Any luck?" He waited. "Rena thinks it could be a knife. Why? Cos' he's trying to give her a make over with it!" He fired off a shot over Serena's shoulder and hung up. She turned to find a knife fading out of sight next to her ear.

"We need to distract him," Serena remembered, it wasn't just a simple case of shooting at Chuck until Sam figured it all out. If Chuck sensed that Sam was close to destroying him, things could turn nasty for him. "It will figure it out soon!"

"Right," Dean said. He looked at her, trying to figure out what she planned. Her eyes were out of focus for a few seconds and she nodded to herself. She rolled her shoulders and winced as her injuries protested.

"Don't shoot him unless we're about to die," she told him.

"What?" He asked, she smiled at him and put her pistol on the ground. "What are you doing?"

"It's the quickest way I can think of," she explained. "If you can think of better way, then by all means…"

"I'm not letting you-"

"Dean, it's just a few cuts," she replied nonchalantly.

"Deep cuts, Serena. You've lost a lot of blood from just two!" She smiled at him again and turned her back to him.

"Son of a-" He hissed. She whirled around to see Dean facing Chuck, a line of blood across his shoulders. Chuck must have used their argument as a distraction. Dean had his sawn off shotgun pointing at the spirit.

"Dean, no," Serena said quickly. "We need to keep him here."

"Great," he replied, lowering his gun. He glared at Chuck and waited for the inevitable flight he was about to take. It only took a second and Dean was on the other side of the carriage, flat on his back. How often did he get beaten up by spirits? Too often for his liking. He lifted his head and saw Serena running towards him.

"You okay?" she asked. He nodded in response. His eyes widened as he saw Chuck appear in between them, his knife extended towards Serena. She managed to stop herself from running into the blade. Chuck frowned and flickered behind her. Serena grunted as he managed to slice the top of her other arm.

"Not my best plan," she hissed. Dean stood up and pointed Serena's pistol at the spirit. Chuck disappeared from sight. Dean grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the nearest wall.

"Stay behind me," he ordered. Serena nodded and felt her newest injury twinge.

"How's your back?" She raised her hand to his cut and realised it wasn't as deep as hers.

"I've had worse," he replied, and Serena knew he was telling the truth. Serena's eyes flew to the door at the other end of the compartment from her. It had opened. She swore softly as a young family entered.

"No, don't come in," she shouted. The family hesitated, looking from the pair of hunters to the creepy man staring at them. Unconsciously the father stepped in front of his wife and child. "Dean!" he had already started moving. The ghost was moving towards the newcomers now. Serena was on his tail. Dean aimed his gun at the ghost and pulled the trigger. Chuck disappeared.

"Get out of here now," he told the family. The mother nodded and, holding her toddler son in one arm, attempted to leave.

"I can't its stuck," she wailed. "Jason, I can't move it." Jason, her husband, moved around her and tried. He swore.

"Its okay, we'll protect you," Dean promised.

"I have a plan," Serena said.

"It better be better than your last."

"Yeah, there's more salt in your bag isn't there?" Dean nodded quickly and looked around for where it was. Luckily it was close by, just a few seats ahead of them. He gestured for her to stay where she was and stretched to get the bag, moving slightly away from her. He grabbed it and chucked it the short distance to Serena. She opened it and pulled out the packet of salt. She took two fistfuls out and gave the bag to Dean.

"Spread it around them," she ordered. Dean nodded, quickly encircling the family.

"Do not step out of that ring of salt," he told them. He saw that Jason was about to start arguing. "Don't question it." His eyes widened as he understood what Serena planned. It was so simple. He took the remaining salt and turned to see Chuck at the other end of the carriage staring out of the window. Dean frowned but walked towards the ghost. Serena followed at a much slower pace.

"Hey Ugly," Dean greeted him. Chuck faced him and bared his teeth. They circled each other and Dean quickly spread a half circle of salt around the spirit before he was flying through the air again. Serena dived and finished off the circle. Chuck screamed as he realised he was trapped. Serena pulled her phone out and dialled Sam, now that the spirit was trapped in the ring of salt, she could use her own phone.

"We've got him trapped," she said quickly.

"Okay, I've found the knife; it was stuck under the headstone of all places. Give me 10 seconds."

"We're counting Sam," she commented and kept her eyes fixed of the spirit. Before her eyes he began to lose solidarity. In another second he disappeared. Serena let out a breath. "He's gone. Meet you at the next stop?" Sam agreed and ended the call. Serena made her way over to Dean. She stroked his forehead around the new cut. "It's over."

"Good, cos that's the least fun I've had in a while." Serena cracked a smile. She glanced at her watch, they had about twenty minutes until the next stop. She stood up and turned around.

"How about you?" Serena asked quickly, turning to face the cowering family at the far end. "You can step out of the salt now. You're safe, it's gone."

"What happened? What was it? Where did it go?" The mother sounded hysterical now.

"It was a spirit, a ghost," Serena explained. "It's gone where all the dead go." They looked at her expectantly, but she just shrugged. Dean laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, ghosts are real," he added before they started the usual responses. "Salt prevents it, blah blah blah. Serena, I think you should rest." Serena nodded, she was still bleeding. They left the family and sat down far from them. Dean pulled Serena so she was lying against his side.

* * *

**I know I say it every time, but please review! It makes me want to update faster!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

An old man was sitting at the side of the road on the bench of a bus stop. It was the middle of the afternoon and the streets were full of people shopping. It was an unseasonably warm day and everyone was making the most of it. The old man had his shopping bags tucked between his legs on the floor and held his walking stick in his left hand. He shielded his eyes from the low sun to look at the number on the approaching bus. It wasn't his so he sat back in the seat. He had been waiting for over half an hour, but he was used to waiting. A young woman sat down next to him and smiled warmly. He smiled back and said hello. She placed a hand on his arm.

"Has the number 5 left already?" she asked him. He looked her in the eyes and saw them flash to black. His own eyes widened in shock and he shuffled away from her. He blinked and saw her eyes were blue.

"Uhh…I don't…" he stood up and hurried away. The girl smiled and looked into the shopping bags he had left behind.

A few hours later, the old man walked through the small house he shared with his wife. She was at a neighbour's house. The man stopped walking and thought about his wife sitting round Harry's. He had never trusted the man, especially near his wife. He hurried over to Harry's house and rang the doorbell. Harry answered after a few seconds.

"David," he said happily. "I was just telling Janice about my new curtains. Come and look." David glared at his neighbour and followed him into the house. He fingered the kitchen knife in his pocket.

"Trying to impress my wife again Harry?" He asked calmly. Harry chuckled. "Last week it was a sofa wasn't it?"

"It was," Harry replied. David nodded.

"David," Janice greeted as they entered the living room.

"I thought I'd come and see you as you spend all your time here," he said. Harry turned to face him, noticing his tone. David pulled out the knife and stabbed Harry four times. Janice screamed.

* * *

"Jealousy maybe," Sam stated. It was the day after the murder took place. They had been travelling in the other direction, but Dean had received a phone call from Bobby about dry lightening in a town in Ohio. He had believed something would go down there. Sam and Serena had been to the sheriff, posed as CDC (pretending that there was a chance that a chemical had been leaked into the water system which caused crazy behaviour) and been to the crime scene. "Just the kind of thing a Scorpio might fall into?"

"All these traits lead to murder don't they?" Serena asked. They were still at the crime scene. Dean was at their motel, on the phone to Bobby. "Even if it's something as stupid as stubbornness?"

"It just changes the type and violence of it," Sam nodded, making Serena sigh. "With stubbornness it could be something as simple as refusing to stop at a red light."

"There's no way we can save people from that," she replied. She ran a hand through her hair in frustration. Sam looked at her squarely.

"We can't save everyone, Serena," he said softly. She looked back at him stubbornly, she felt like these demons were her responsibility. After all, they were looking for her; the people they killed along the way were just playthings for the demons.

"We can if we try hard enough," she stated, jutting her chin out. "Do you want to go speak to the wife or should I?"

"I managed to get us a copy of her police statement," Sam replied, pulling out his phone. "I got it emailed over to me." He handed the phone to Serena so she could read it.

"If it wasn't for the sulphur I don't know if I'd believe it to be demonic," Serena said when she finished reading. She handed Sam his phone back and they walked out of the crime scene. It was dark; they were trying to keep a low profile and had chosen to visit when nobody else was around.

"It does seem more of human crime," Sam agreed. They got into the Impala, Sam behind the steering wheel, and headed for the motel.

"We need to get them Sam, before they get anyone else." Sam nodded grimly. The thought of eleven demons running around made him uneasy. The sooner they ganked them the better. They drove the remainder of the way comfortably, Sam no longer resented Serena as much, or if he did, thought Serena, he didn't make it as noticeable. Sam pulled over to the side of the road. Serena looked around to see why.

"What's up?" she asked curiously.

"We need to talk," Sam stated. Serena mentally hit herself; she had thought too soon that they were okay.

"Okay, what about? Can't we do it somewhere a little warmer?"

"Please don't take this personally, but as soon as this demon problem is over, I think you should leave us alone," Sam said quietly, in a tone that belied what he meant. Serena stared at the side of his head in disbelief.

"Sam-"

"You're distracting us from Lilith."

"Sam, I'm sorry, but I can help-"

"No, you'll find some other way to distract Dean," Sam stated matter of factly. "And you won't mean to, but it will happen."

"Where is this coming from?"

"I spoke to Ruby-"

"Ruby?" Serena repeated in disbelief. "She's a demon Sam, she's stirring everything up. I don't know what she wants but it's not good."

"She has a point Serena; we've made no progress over the last few weeks." Serena took a deep calming breath.

"I'd like to go back to the motel now please," she said as calmly as she could. "I'll think about what you said." Sam nodded and started the engine again. Serena had only said she would think about it so that he would drive her back. The only reason she would leave was if Dean wanted her to. It was unusual, especially for her, to find somebody that would accept her lifestyle and she would cling to that as long as she could. When they reached the Rest Well Motel and parked the Impala in front of the Winchesters room. Dean opened the door to them, recognising the sound of his engine. Both Serena and Sam acted as normally as possible. Neither wanted Dean to know about the conversation they had just had.

"What did you find?" Dean asked.

"Sulphur, definitely demonic," Sam told him, chucking his cell phone and keys on the table.

"From the wife's statement it sounds like it was done out of jealousy," Serena added, reaching up slightly to greet Dean with a quick kiss. "Which is a Scorpio trait. Meaning that they were here." Dean shook his head.

"When we meet them, it's on our terms Rena, don't get any ideas," he replied.

"Going by their pattern, they'll have moved on by now anyway. That is until they sense I'm here."

"Then we have time," Sam added. The three occupants looked between each other.

"In that case, I'm gonna make the most of it," Serena said, Dean raised his eyebrows. "I meant by having a shower Dean." She bid they goodnight and crossed to her own motel room. She looked around it briefly and took in how sad it looked. The only personal possessions of hers were her duffel bag and a jacket she had discarded earlier. It was rare that she let herself think about things like that; after all she travelled light for a reason. Any way, who wants to be lumbered with enough possessions to fill an entire house? The motel room itself was one of the plainest she had seen in a while, the walls were all off-white and the bedding was the same colour. It made the place feel unwelcoming. She took off her jacket and jumper before sitting on the edge of her bed and removing her shoes. She stretched slowly before getting in the shower. True to her word, she had a long shower, something she didn't always have the luxury to do. After she had finished her shower and dried off, she sat on the edge of her bed and stared off into the distance.

* * *

Serena opened her eyes. A noise had woken her up. It sounded like somebody was moving nearby. She blinked a few times, moving to a sitting position. Her eyes widened. There was no way that what she was seeing could be true. She hadn't been in this room for just over seven years. Everything was exactly how she remembered it to be. The bed she sat on had broken springs in all the places she tested. She heard the noise again and realised it was somebody walking in the hallway. She stood up and pulled her cell out of her pocket and shrieked as she saw the first cell phone she had ever had. There was one way to test what was going on, she opened the wardrobe door and glanced at the full length mirror on the inside of the door. Another shriek escaped her lips. She was staring at the image of her pyjama-clad sixteen-year-old self. How the hell did she end up back here? The door swung open to her left.

"What's wrong?" a man said urgently. She stared at him in shock. "Serena, what is it?"

"Dad?"

* * *

"Hey," Dean greeted from the door. Serena had given him the second key to her room so that he didn't have to knock every time he checked on her. He had left Sam in their room, researching more demonic omens. Serena sat on the edge of the single bed furthest into the room. She was staring at a point on the far wall. When she didn't acknowledge him, Dean smiled, assuming that she was lost in daydream. He walked over to her and gently put a hand on her shoulder. She didn't respond to his touch. He shook her just as gently, assuming she was asleep… with her eyes open. "Serena, wake up. Nap time's over." He frowned when she still didn't move. It was unlike her to not stir, usually she woke up instantly. He waved a hand in front of her eyes. He pulled out his cell phone. Sam may not be far away, but Dean didn't want to leave Serena's side.

"Yeah?"

"Sammy, something's wrong with Serena," Dean said quickly, panic starting to enter his voice. Sam recognised the tone.

"On my way," Sam replied, he hung up and hurried over to Serena's room.

* * *

"You screamed," Terry Bates said slowly to this daughter. Serena stared at him with wide eyes.

"I, uh, saw a spider," she said quickly. She pointed in the general direction of her wardrobe as if to prove it.

"You're not scared of spiders," Terry replied, frowning, but he glanced around the room to see if he could see it.

"It was a big spider?"

"You know, if your room wasn't so messy the spider wouldn't have anywhere to hide."

"Good point Dad," Serena nodded. She'd never been a tidy person, but her room was more a pile of clothing than a room. A car horn sounded outside. Serena ignored it, it obviously wasn't for her.

"You better hurry up Rena," her dad told her. "Alice is here." He ruffled his daughter's hair and turned to leave, with a worried look at Serena. She smiled at him, hoping to reassure him, and hurried to her wardrobe, pulling out the least hideous thing she could see. She changed out of her pyjamas and pulled on a short skirt and a thin jumper. Not something her older self would wear, but she knew as a sixteen year old she had loved it. It had been her own personal uniform. One glance at her hair told her that she had no hope of taming it without her beloved straightener's that she wouldn't get for another five years, so she pulled her hair (which was only shoulder length as opposed her future long hair) into a loose bun. She grabbed an orange on the way out of the house and hurried over to Alice's car. Alice grinned at her through the windshield. Serena felt herself smile stiffly back. Serena literally hadn't seen the girl since she was sixteen. The brunette in the car had been Serena's best friend through high school.

"Hey S," Alice greeted. Serena slid into the passenger seat.

"Morning," she replied.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Serena started. She nodded politely.

"Hey, what's the date today?" Alice shot her a strange look.

"April 5th silly," she replied. So it had been her birthday the day before. They were in 1998. Serena's eyes widened as she processed it. Today was an important day in her world. Today was the day her uncle would visit her.

* * *

"I don't understand what's happening" Dean said again out of frustration. Serena sat in front of him and Sam with her eyes wide open, but she wasn't seeing them. She had been like this for just over an hour. Sam was just as confused.

"We need to know what she's seeing," Sam mused aloud. "Get into her head maybe."

"But she's not dreaming, that dream root wouldn't do a thing," Dean said quickly. They had had a small amount left from their adventure inside Bobby's head. Dean had made Sam get it from the Impala and they quickly realised it wasn't working.

"Maybe it would if we tried it differently, but we don't have any left now," Sam replied. "I'll look for another option."

"But if she's not dreaming, what is she doing? Is she catatonic?"

"I'll find another option," Sam repeated.

* * *

**Come on guys! Review!!!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry! I know its been a week or so! Things got a bit crazy with research and essays.**

**Chapter 16  
**

* * *

The school day dragged by, Serena had been there more for the social side as a teenager, happily keeping her work to an average grade. Now, reliving the days seemed to her like moving around in a skin too small for her. Her high school friends were all very shallow, Serena had been as well, but she was always more down to earth than her closer friends. Sitting through their conversations about boys and shopping made Serena want to run out, but she knew she had to see it through. She couldn't change the past…could she? The thought consumed her for the majority of her history class. She could try to manipulate it so that her uncle never managed to tell her about hunting, about the supernatural. It would give her a normal life. Free from the constant danger, the injuries, and the loss. By the time the bell rang she had decided to go with the flow. She wouldn't forcibly change the outcome of the day, but if it happened, she wouldn't change it back. Her thoughts flickered to Dean, he would understand. She had been through so much; she lived in fear of the Zodiac demons, though she hid that fact from the Winchesters's. She was petrified. This was her ticket out.

"Hey, Babe," a deep voice said behind her. She knew that voice. She spun around to see the object of all her fifteen year old fantasies.

"Scott," she greeted with a smile. He slung an arm round her shoulders and led her to the school gates.

"Need a ride home?"

"Thanks," she agreed. He was cute, she could still see why, at this age, she had fancied him. He had sandy blonde hair, a confident smirk and the bluest eyes she could imagine. She glanced around and this time, she saw all of the jealous looks the majority of girls were shooting at her. The first time around she had been so happy the rest of the world had slipped away.

"Doing anything tonight?" Scott asked her as he pulled out of the school parking lot. She was silent for a minute, knowing Scott would peg that down to nerves. Really she was thinking, if she made the date, she wouldn't go on it.

"Free as a bird," she replied sweetly.

"I'll pick you up at 7?" Serena nodded and kissed his cheek as she got out of the car. It would be their fifth date. She walked into her house, grinning happily at the nostalgia she was left with. It was confusing, she could feel the younger her's emotions as well as her own.

"Serena," her mom called. Serena pulled in a deep breath and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Mom," she said happily.

"Uncle Nate is coming over soon," she replied stiffly. Her dad walked into the room.

"Now Gabs," he soothed. Serena was confused, she hadn't noticed the tension in the room last time either. She walked out and up to her room. Her thoughts roamed back to why she was here. She had no idea. She didn't know how she got here either.

Her uncle rang the doorbell ten minutes later. Serena tied her hair in a tight ponytail and took a deep breath before walking down the stairs to greet Nate Harding.

"-good to see you Sis," she could hear her uncle greeting her mom.

"You too," Gabby Bates replied less believably. She walked around the corner and saw her family by the door.

"There's the birthday girl," Nate said. He kissed her cheek formally and smiled at her. "Sorry I know I'm a day late."

"Its okay," Serena replied lightly. Nate only ever popped in a once every few months, teenage Serena had never really known how to act around him. "How's the plan going?"

"I've tried the pancakes in 35 states," Nate informed her proudly. She grinned in response. He had told her when she was 12 that he was on a mission to taste pancakes in every state in the US.

"Well done," she said.

"Hey, I have a present for you," Nate grinned. "I think you're gonna love it." Serena grinned with real joy. She knew what the present was. "Come with me." He led her out of the front door and into the driveway. She pretended to look around suspiciously, searching for what it could be, but she kept the red beauty in the corner of her eye. Nate put a hand on her shoulder and guided her towards his car. He patted the roof of it and smiled at her. "Happy birthday." Serena looked at him, trying to show shock.

"The car?" she asked. He nodded. She grinned and hugged him. "Its gorgeous thank you!"

"It's a 1994 Toyota Celica," he told her, knowing she wouldn't care. "And it's all yours." Serena stroked the red paint. Nate pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them over. "Why don't you take us for a drive?" Serena was already in the driver's seat before he had finished speaking. She knew from memory that she had stalled a few times on this outing. She groaned mentally at the thought of driving badly but she stalled twice before managing to reverse out of the driveway. They had been driving for about ten minutes when Nate opened his mouth. Serena knew this was it.

"Serena," he started conversationally. "What do you think about ghosts?" Sixteen year old Serena hadn't sensed anything leading in his question. Serena remembered her words and recited them like an actress. She giggled.

"That kinda stuff isn't real," she stated. "It's all made up to make people believe there's more out there." She felt the yearning that it was all real in her younger self.

"What if I told you it is real," Nate said. Serena laughed again. "Your parents raised you to believe that everything has a logical explanation?"

"Of course they did," she replied.

"I believe that too, I'm just asking you to accept new information."

"Uncle, there's no way you could prove ghosts exist…they just don't."

"Turn left here, and then take the next right," he told her. She complied and pulled over when he told her to. "Come on." She turned off the engine and followed him out. They walked up the four steps that led up to the front door of a small house. He rang the doorbell and noticed the door was ajar. He pushed it open. "Stay here," he ordered. Serena nodded. He stepped into the house and pulled something out of his pocket.

"Ed?" she heard him shout. "Eddie, you here?" She heard no reply. She looked down at the floor and saw a solid line of white on the floor. It looked like granules. Her curiosity took over and she knelt down to get a closer look. She touched it with her fingers and smelt it. It reminded her of the sea.

"Salt," she whispered. Why would there be salt in the doorway? Especially in a straight line. Of course Serena knew why, but her younger self was deeply confused. She stepped over the salt and headed in the direction her uncle took. She walked into the living room, there was more salt in the doorway leading to the kitchen. A glance around the room showed her nothing interesting. Neither did the kitchen. She walked up the stairs and noticed more salt lines, but one of them had a break in it. It made her curious. She walked into that room and noticed it was an office. The walls were lined with book shelves; there was a desk in the middle of the room piled high with more books. She walked over to it and saw a rifle on top of an open book. Next to it was a blade of some kind. She took a step backwards and noticed something move in the corner of her eye, assuming it was her uncle. She looked up and saw that it wasn't Nate. It was a woman wearing a summer dress.

"Hello," Serena said. "I'm sorry, I can explain why I'm here…I'm not a thief." The woman stared at her. Serena blinked and found the woman a few inches away from her face. She stepped away, her eyes wide. The woman flickered in front of her. Serena thought she was going crazy. She moved around the desk, to put something in between them, but she tripped over something. That something was a body. She screamed. The woman got closer, Serena stood up quickly. Her world was falling apart; she was in a room with a dead body and some psycho woman. The woman held out her hand and Serena felt herself go flying into a stack of papers. She felt a stinging pain on her cheek; it must have been paper cuts.

* * *

"In the bottom of the vase, check it Dean," Sam said suddenly. Dean smashed it without hesitation. Amongst the pieces of shattered glass was something unusual. Sam bent down and picked it up. He held it between his thumb and forefinger.

"Is that a crystal?" Dean asked. He moved closer to get a better look.

"An uncommon one," Sam agreed. He looked around and saw Serena's laptop bag next to her bag of clothing. With a glance at Serena, he moved over to it and pulled it out. Dean sat on the single bed opposite Serena, his eyes didn't leave her face. He swore loudly. Sam looked up quickly and Dean pointed to Serena's face. A large scratch had appeared across her chin and cheek. Sam grimaced and turned his attention on the screen, the quicker he discovered what the crystal was, the sooner they could help Serena. But first he had to bypass her password. He stared at the screen and started the usual process of hacking. Dean glared at him and pulled the laptop towards him, typing in the password Serena had given him a few weeks before.

"Ah, here we are," he said after over half an hour of searching. Dean stood up from his position in front of Serena and walked over to where Sam was, he looked over his brother's shoulder.

"A Tiger Iron," Dean said aloud.

"Get this: it aids in dream manifestations," they both looked at Serena.

"So she's living her dreams?" Dean asked.

"Something like that," he agreed. "Could be memories. I don't know how one stone has that much power though."

"Could be more in the room," the older Winchester suggested. Sam nodded and they bother looked around the motel room, overturning the bedding, looking in drawers. They found two more crystals. Sam hurried back to the laptop to check if his first thoughts were correct.

"The more pressing question is who put them here?" Sam asked aloud as he searched again.

* * *

Serena got up quickly and hurried out of the door. She ran along the hallway, glancing over her shoulder. The woman was following her.

"Nate!" She screamed. Her uncle appeared at the bottom of the stairs and ran up them when he saw his niece.

"Have you seen Eddie?" He asked her. Serena saw a gun in her uncle's hand, she shrank away from him. His attention moved passed her as he saw the woman. He shot her. Serena screamed again, the woman disappeared before her eyes.

"This isn't funny," she cried. "You can stop now, it's a great joke."

"Serena, have you seen Eddie," he repeated.

"There's a body in that room," she whispered.

"Alright, take this," he handed a knife to her. "Go wait in the car." She nodded and ran out of the house.

Serena waited in the car for all of ten minutes. She had contemplated driving off, but she couldn't stop crying and the tears were making it hard for her to see. The knife her uncle had given her was gripped tightly in her right hand. Her uncle opened the passenger door and Serena swung at him with her blade before she realised it was him.

"Oh Serena," he said softly, easily stopping her swing. He stroked her hair gently. "I didn't mean for you to see that. I wanted to introduce you to Eddie Manson. I thought if you could hear it from someone else you would believe it."

"Believe what?"

"Ghosts are real Serena," he replied. "So are demons, shape-shifters, poltergeists, succubus…"

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked.

"I need your help," he stated. "Let me drive us home."

* * *

"What are we dealing with? A spirit? Demon?"

"It doesn't fit any usual M.O.'s," Dean replied. "It could be a demon, hell we don't know what half those escaped ones can do." Sam nodded. Dean went back over to Serena, he paused before putting his hands in one of her jeans pockets.

"Dude," Sam said. "Now is not the time." Dean glared at his brother and put a hand in her other pocket. He pulled something out and held it up to Sam.

"Okay, the two we found in the drawers are Peridot and Pyrite," Sam told Dean. "They're both stones of protection. It doesn't make sense. Wait, it says here that peridot 'allows one to understand the changes in one's life'." He changed the page to the one about pyrite. "Enhances memory."

"What about this one?"

"Turquoise," Sam stated. His eyes widened. "I know what's happening."

* * *

**Please review :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry, I know its been like a week! Its been a very busy week for me. I actually went to the premiere of Kick-Ass and watched it with the celebs (including Brad Pitt!) Just had to tell someone...**

**Anyway,  
**

**Chapter 17**

* * *

They reached the house before Serena had calmed down. She rushed out of the car and went straight to her room, slamming the door behind her. Nate walked to the front door at a slower pace. He knew what his sister would say.

"Nate," Gabby shouted as soon as he shut the door. "What the hell did you say to her?"

"I told her the truth Gabs," he stated. "About what's out there." Serena's mom's face fell. Serena managed to take control of her body again and quietly crept to the top of the stairs to listen.

"She's sixteen."

"Yes, a young woman," Nate said. "Old enough to know. We were younger when gramps told us remember?"

"She doesn't have to know!"

"It's in her blood!" Nate snapped. "She has an obligation to this family. Just like you did, but you ran away. I warned you years ago that this was going to happen. She needs to be trained."

The next day, Serena dressed in another mini skirt and jumper. She tried to talk to Alice about what had happened. Her best friend had looked at her as if she were crazy and told her it must have been a really vivid nightmare. Serena had dropped it, agreeing with her, silently feeling her pocket. Her uncle had made her take the knife with her, just in case. That proved to her it was real.

Time passed in front of Serena's eyes. She saw how her friends began to think she was weird, how Alice commented on Serena's fashion – she had gone from the fashionable mini skirts (even in winter) to jeans and dark jumpers - and she started distancing herself from them. Alice spoke to her one day after Christmas, telling her to snap out of her weirdness or they couldn't be friends anymore. Valentines Day passed, Scott took someone else out, telling Serena that she wasn't cool enough anymore. Her friends abandoned her, but she couldn't blame them. Her uncle had started her training the very next day, starting with lessons on the most basic information on ghosts and other creatures. Weaponry came next; he trained her in the use of every weapon he possessed. He took her on ever more dangerous hunts until she become an equal. It didn't take long, she learnt fast.

* * *

"Serena," her mom said one evening. Serena was sat on the sofa in jeans and a tight fitting long-sleeved shirt, reading a book her uncle had given her on Latin. He had told her it was necessary to know it all off by heart. She looked up at her mom, who was standing in the doorway with her dad.

"It's your birthday tomorrow," her dad stated. "And well, we think you should move, live with your uncle." Serena's eyes widened at the suggestion.

"Why? I can learn and still live here."

"The thing is…" her dad started.

"We don't want it in this house," her mom finished.

"Want what? The supernatural stuff? Mom, you encouraged me to go with Nate."

"Not by choice, I left this crap a long time ago. Now I want you to have moved out by the end of tomorrow. I'm sorry Sere, but I have the baby to think about." Serena frowned at her mom's tone. It was distant.

"Baby? What bab- you're pregnant?"

"We are," her dad told her. She could see in his eyes that her mom had persuaded him that this was the right course of action. Joy flashed through her, she would have a younger sibling. But then she focused on what her parents were saying. She stood up abruptly and glared at them.

"Why wait til tomorrow?" she snapped. "If you want it that badly, I'll leave now." She had grown up a lot in the past year; she was more confident, more independent. She stormed upstairs and chucked her clothing into the suitcase she found above her parents wardrobe. She threw in anything she thought she would miss. Her parents hadn't moved a muscle when she walked passed them on the way out. She picked up her Latin book and went straight to her car, chucking her suitcase in the trunk.

* * *

In the motel room in the present, Sam had just finished explaining his theory to his brother. Dean stood between the bed and where Sam sat and ran a hand over his face. "You're saying she did this to herself," Dean clarified.

"It looks that way, these crystals are all about self reflection and memory," Sam agreed. "They're also strong protective stones."

"How can we pull her out?" Dean asked, going straight to the important issue.

"Maybe we should let her finish…"

"Sam, you can't choose when to be on her side or not, tell me now."

"Alright, take this stone," he said to his brother, handing him the Turquoise. "Hold it between your right hand and Serena's left. Put your other hand on her forehead." Dean went to do this. "But Dean, I don't know-"

"It's worth a shot," he snapped.

"Okay, to get out you have to say this." Sam went on to tell his brother the Latin words. Dean repeated them and put his hand on Serena's forehead, concentrating solely on her.

* * *

"Do this one on your own," her uncle told her, handing her a case file he had put together.

"What are you gonna do?" the eighteen year old Serena asked him.

"There's something I need to do," he said vaguely. "I won't be more than a few days." Serena nodded. This would be the first time she would work a job without her uncle nearby to help her. He kissed the top of her head and pulled his bags onto his shoulder. He left her in their rented apartment. She flicked through the file and saw that it was a simple haunting; her uncle had even found which spirits were in the house and where they were buried. Serena did the job easily within the day.

She waited for a few days, catching up with more of the reading that he had set her. Her uncle didn't contact her once and he didn't come back when he had promised. It had been just under two weeks since he had left her, she was worried. She went out into the town to distract herself. Her uncle was indestructible in her eyes; he had never shown a sign of weakness in the two years they had hunted together. She walked into the park area in the middle of town and sat on a bench. Her phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw it was her uncle. She let out a sigh of relief. He was alive. She didn't see that Dean appeared just behind the bench.

"Nate? Where are you?"

"I'm in Europe, Serena," he told her. "I'm fine, but I can't contact you again. You're on your own." The phone went dead. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it for a long second in disbelief. Serena threw her phone onto the grass.

"Serena," a voice she recognised said. "Is that you?" She looked up and saw a man in front of her. Her younger self didn't recognise the man at all, but the older her, the one that had gotten lost in the memories, did.

"I'm Serena," the younger version said, and added in a challenging tone: "Who are you?" The older Serena felt as if she were waking up, she looked up at him for a long minute. She used all her remaining will power. Her eyes ran over his body in appreciation. Dean looked at her closely.

"Dean," he told her. "A friend."

"Friends are a luxury I don't have," Serena replied bitterly. Dean was taken aback by her tone. On anyone else he would have turned and left, but this was Serena. He sat down on the bench next to her.

"Indulge yourself for once then," he stated. They sat in silence for a long minute. Dean reached out and grabbed her phone off of the grass. "What was that about?" Serena was about to snap that it was none of his business but she met his eyes and sighed. She needed to confide in somebody, it may as well be this stranger.

"My uncle," she started. "He gave me some huge task and just told me he's gone to Europe and left me with it."

"Ouch," he replied. "That's unfair."

"Tell me about it," she said bitterly.

"You could always walk away from this 'huge task'." She looked up at him like the thought hadn't even occurred to her. That was the Serena he knew.

"Oh, not this task," she said lightly. "Too much at stake. Weight of the world and all that."

"How old are you? Seems to be like you should be out with friends."

"Eighteen and a half," she said. "I have a job to do, an important job. I wouldn't swap that for the fake friends I used to have." She stood up to leave, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Rena, you're going to be fine," he told her gently. "It won't be easy; I wish I could say it was, but you grow into a strong and amazing woman."

"What do you mean? Why did you call me Rena?"

"Its time to snap out of it," he said, standing up. "You're in a trance Serena. I've come to get you out."

"What are you talking about?" The older Serena stirred slightly; it rang a bell in her head.

"I don't know much more than you, but you put yourself into a trance. Now we're here. You've lived this already haven't you?"

"Dean?" Serena felt freer than she had for a while. It felt as if she had been living her life again, every second that ticked passed was real. It felt like she hadn't seen Dean in years. A weight lifted from Dean's shoulders as she said his name.

"Let's get out of here," Dean said in relief.

"How?" He took a deep breath and did the only thing he could think of that would remind her of her real life. He kissed her hard. He pulled away and saw a new clarity in her eyes. He smiled and said the Latin words Sam had told him.

"Come home," he whispered to her.

* * *

Sam watched his brother closely, for any signs that something had backfired. He jumped when Dean opened his eyes and moved his hand off of Serena's forehead. Sam glanced at his watch. Dean had only been out of it for a few minutes.

"Did it work?" he asked. Dean shrugged and watched Serena. She inhaled sharply and blinked a few times.

"Dean," she said.

"I'm here," he told her. He kissed her forehead. She melted into his arms, tears falling from her cheeks onto his shoulder. Sam stood awkwardly nearby.

"Serena," he said. "We need to know what happened." Dean pulled away from her.

"Why did you go into a trance?" Dean asked. "You should have warned us! Do you know how dangerous they can be? You lost yourself in there, don't deny it."

"I'm sorry, I wanted answers. I thought if I could remember exactly what happened with the Zodiac demons then we'd have a better chance."

"But you weren't-"

"I know, I focused on the demons, but a stray thought popped into my head. I must have followed that back to my sixteenth birthday. Give me a break. I just watched how my world fell apart for the second time."

"Dean said you lost yourself?" Sam questioned.

"I did," she said honestly. "At the beginning I fought it, I tried to control what happened, but I lived through the two hardest years of my life. I got caught up in it. I noticed things I didn't the first time round." She looked from Dean to Sam and sighed. "Look, I need some time alone." Sam nodded; he squeezed her shoulder and walked out of the room. Dean watched as she lay down on the bed. He contemplated following Sam, but changed his mind. He sat on the edge of Serena's bed and moved her hair off of her face. She reached for his hand and pulled him towards her, wrapping his arms around her.

"What did you see before I got there?" Dean asked softly. Serena was silent for a while; she didn't know how to tell him without sounding even more dramatic. Plus she knew Dean had had a worse childhood than her.

"Everything," she said quietly. "From when my uncle bought me my car, he asked me to drive it and led me to my first ghost. I found his friend's body and then ghost attacked me. He swears it was an accident. I found out my mom used to hunt. I didn't know that. She ran away from it. That's why she kicked me out of the house I think." Dean was shocked. He hadn't heard anything about her past before. It was just as messed up as his in its own way. "Nate made me train every second of the day that I wasn't at school. My friends disowned me early on, so I was alone apart from my uncle. Then when he went to Europe…well that's when you found me." Dean nodded and held her closer. He had seen what it had all done to her. How bitter she had been.

"I meant what I said," he told her. "You're strong. It amazes me how strong sometimes."

"You can't afford to be weak in this line of work, but I don't feel strong," she admitted. "I'm scared, terrified even of the Zodiac demons. I can't even think about you going to hell. I just- I-I'll be alone again-How can-"

"Shhh," Dean soothed. "You'll just keep fighting, it's who you are, you don't even consider running away from the job. Even the younger you didn't."


	18. Chapter 18

**Again, sorry for the slow updating. Should get a bit faster soon.**

**Chapter 18  
**

* * *

It was a gorgeous day, and Serena didn't want to spend it cooped up in a motel room waiting for a new job to fall onto their plates. She sat on a bench and watched families picnicking on the grass and young children playing on the swings. It was interesting for her to watch; maybe that's what her mom and dad were doing with her younger sibling, who must be nearing 8 years old now. She didn't put any effort into working it out precisely. After she had moved in with her uncle, she had severed all ties with her parents, so she didn't even know if it was a younger brother or sister. Dean sat down heavily on the bench beside her and followed her gaze.

"Do you ever wish-" he started to ask without looking at her.

"That my life was like that?" she pointed her head at one family near them. Two young dark haired girls were playing with Barbie's on the picnic blanket while their mom and dad sipped on juice drinks and smiled at each other. "It's not worth thinking about." Dean raised his eyebrows at her. "Fine, I think we'd be bored."

"I don't," Dean replied slowly. Serena turned to face him, surprised at his tone. "After all hunting as done to us, I'd like to call it a day. If I wasn't off to hell, that is."

"I couldn't do it," Serena replied, ignoring the reminder of hell. "Aren't you supposed to be helping Sam?"

"Yeah but I saw you all deep in thought and decided to take a break," Dean told her. Of course, Serena thought, Dean had been keeping an eye on her. It wasn't safe for her still.

"I'm fed up of having a giant bull's eye on my back," she growled. "We're hitting them next week Dean."

"We have to have a plan first," he replied, Serena opened her mouth to argue but Dean stopped her. "It'll be over in two weeks, I promise." Serena nodded content with the answer. Their silence was broken by the pealing of her cell phone. She pulled it out of her pocket and answered it.

Dean stared around the park while she talked on the phone. He didn't bother listening in, knowing that she would tell him if it was important. His eyes drifted back to the couple with the two girls. One of the girls ran over to the mom and threw her arms around her. If he squinted, the mom looked a bit like Serena. He smiled slightly at the image; it wasn't one he'd see in reality. It was not something he could give her, and like most hunters, he knew Serena didn't want to raise children in the world they lived in. He noticed Serena put her cell back in her pocket.

"You'd make a good mom," he said quietly. She laughed, deciding to take it as a joke.

"I don't have enough patience or any maternal instinct. I have a job for us."

"Please say it involves strippers," he replied lightly.

"Sorry to disappoint, but no strippers. There have been three cases of murder, where the murderer has had severe personality changes in the days leading up to the event."

"Where?"

"North Carolina. We should move, Abby thinks there will be more deaths soon."

"Abby?"

"One of the hunters I went to visit last month." Dean nodded and stood up, taking Serena's hand and dragging her up too. He didn't let go of her hand as they crossed the road and walked back to meet Sam.

* * *

The next day, while Dean had a quick few hours sleep, Sam and Serena went to the coroner's office. They had both slept while Dean had driven. Each victim had died in a different way, making it a little harder for the hunters to figure out what was actually happening in the town they were in. The first victim, who had died three days ago, was Harold Denham. He had been found drowned in his bath tub by his neighbour Adam Palermo. The second victim was thirty-two year old Matt Levine, who lived two streets away from Denham. The pathologist had found a high dose of rat poison in his system. The latest victim was Troy McAdams. He had suffocated.

"These deaths have nothing in common," Sam announced as they walked back to the Impala.

"We're missing something obvious," Serena agreed. "The fact that they can't prove who else was involved… I want to talk to Troy's wife. Drop me off on the way to Palermo's."

"No, we stick together," Sam said firmly, sliding behind the wheel. "Dean would kill me at least once if something happened…" Serena shut the passenger door and glared at him.

"Oh come on Sam, you can leave me for half an hour," Serena replied. She was beginning to get cabin fever. She needed to feel independent again. "Seriously, I'll call you if something jumps out at me." Sam stayed silent for a few seconds before he nodded.

"Fine, but if anything happens…"

"Don't be such a misery guts," Serena said. She read out the address for the McAdams house and leaned back as Sam drove the short drive.

"I won't be long," Sam stated as he stopped the car. Serena nodded and hopped out, waved at Sam as he drove away and headed to the front door. She adjusted her blouse and rang the doorbell. The door opened widely and a young woman smiled at Serena in welcome. This surprised Serena as she had expected a distraught woman. The woman was dressed in a stereotypical American housewife from the 1950s getup.

"Well hello there," she greeted happily.

"Mrs McAdams?" Serena asked cautiously, maybe she had the wrong address.

"Call me Vanessa." The tone was what Serena could only describe as chipper. It was sickeningly sweet. Serena smiled politely in return.

"I'm Agent Reeve, FBI," she showed Vanessa her fake FBI badge. "I'd like to ask you a few questions if that's okay?"

"Alrighty, come on in," she moved aside to let Serena in. Vanessa led her into the kitchen and hurried back to the stove.

"You're just in time, I'm baking muffins," she announced. Serena smiled again, was this an outlet of grief for Vanessa or did she just not care?

"Mrs McAdams…Vanessa," Serena corrected after a glance from the other woman. "I understand your husband, Troy McAdams died two days ago. I'm very sorry for your loss. I'll try and make this as quickly as possible. Could you tell me what happened, in your own words."

"Of course," Vanessa said, her tone still chipper. "Troy went to bed early 'cos he had a meeting early the next day, I tucked him into bed and then went downstairs to clean the house." Serena found it odd that Troy's wife had tucked him in before bed, but she didn't comment.

"About what time did he go to bed?"

"I think it was about nine o'clock," Vanessa replied. The coroner believed Troy's time of death to be about one o'clock in the morning.

"And what time did you turn in for the night?"

"Not til after midnight, I decided to get started on cooking breakfast before I went to bed."

"There's no easy way to ask this Mrs McAdams, how do you think your husband died?"

"He suffocated."

"Yes, but how? Did you hear anybody else in the room?"

"I don't know," she frowned slightly. "I sleep like a log I'm afraid."

"Well that's enough for now," Serena smiled up at Vanessa. "Thank you for your time." She stood up to go.

"Take some muffins with you Agent," Vanessa ordered, packing some into a tupperware container. Serena thanked her and let herself out of the house and walked round to the neighbouring house. Serena was almost certain that it had been Mrs McAdams that had suffocated her husband, but why? And why was she was she behaving in that way? She rang the doorbell to the neighbour's house. The door opened.

"Hello there, I'm from the FBI, Agent Reeve; could I ask you a few questions?" Serena asked quickly. The man, a fat, balding man, looked surprised but gestured for her to enter the house. "Thank you. I'm sorry, if I could just get your name?"

"Vince Smalls," he replied. "Is this about Troy?"

"What do you know about that Mr Smalls?" Serena asked.

"Not much, I saw the Ambulance take away his body…"

"What can you tell me about Mrs McAdams?"

"Did she-" Vince started.

"These are just routine questions Mr Smalls," Serena interrupted. They were now seated at the table in Mr Small's dining room. The room lacked any female touches, but there were a few framed photographs of children. Serena decided that the man was divorced and, from the lack of toys in the place, rarely saw his children.

"Okay, well what do you want to know?"

"How would you describe her character?" she wanted to know more about the behavioural changes Abby had mentioned.

"Well she is a workaholic," Vince told her. "Troy was as well, they barely saw each other because they both worked long hours. I see them in the mornings when I walk to buy the paper, I don't get it delivered, gives me a bit of exercise. But she's a nice lady."

"What was their relationship?"

"They seemed to be happy, but how close can they be when they didn't see each other? But I never heard them argue." He glanced down at the muffins.

"Mrs McAdams gave them to me," Serena explained. Vince frowned at that.

"I didn't know she cooked," he told her. "Heck she hires people to do things like that." Serena straightened up.

"Does she have a maid?"

"Yes, I think so," he nodded.

"Well thank you for your time Mr Smalls," Serena announced, standing up. "I think I have what I need for now." She walked out of Mr Small's house and saw Dean leaning against the Impala with Sam sitting in the passenger seat on his laptop. Serena sighed and headed over to them. Dean slid into the driver's seat and Serena got in the back.

"No one likes a snitch Sam," Serena said, shooting a long look at the younger Winchester.

"Don't blame him," Dean stated. "He was being sensible." Serena sighed and looked out of the window.

"What did you find out?" Sam asked.

"Well Mrs McAdams was more worried about her muffins than her husband. Had a complete personality overhaul. Was a workaholic, now bakes cakes and cleans until the early hours of the morning."

"I found similar," Sam agreed. "I spoke to Palermo, and he said that Harold and was the stay at home husband until about a week ago when his wife Stephanie decided to destroy her camera, her 'pride and joy' and become 'the perfect housewife'. He described her as an irresponsible wildcard beforehand, and then she became submissive and quiet."

"Sounds a bit _Stepford_," Dean commented.

"Its pretty clear that Vanessa McAdams suffocated her husband," Serena added.

"Palermo believes Stephanie held her husbands head under," Sam agreed.

"So we have murdering housewives? Great."

"What's causing it?" Sam asked aloud. "I mean, if it wasn't for the Dr Jekyll routine, I'd say it was just twisted humans."

They filed into the motel room they were all sharing (Serena had the couch) and started to research the Stepford Syndrome, as Dean called it. Serena looked around the motel room and sighed. It was probably the most questionable one that she had stayed in for years, usually she went to a different one if it was this skanky. There were stains on all of the textile surfaces, the bed, the floor, the couch etc. She wrinkled her nose as she looked more closely at one. It looked like blood.

"Hang on," she said. "Aren't the Stepford Wives replaced with robots?" She had never watched the film, but like most people, had heard about it. Sam clicked on a few buttons on his laptop and confirmed it with a nod.

"All we need now is Ronald and his talk of 'man droids', he'd have a field day," Dean joked.

"The newer version uses microchips," Sam informed them. "Somehow I doubt that that's what's going on."

"Have there been any more cases of strange behavior?" Serena asked.

"Nothing noteworthy, I'll contact the local paper," Sam replied. He stood up to pull his cell phone out of his pocket. "Left my cell in the car." He told them and left to go get it. Serena's eyes strayed to the upholstery again. Noticing food stains on the bed she was sitting on.

"Serena, snap out of it," Dean said in a way that made Serena think he was repeating himself. She looked up at him and smiled apologetically. "I asked if you were okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine, just grossed out," she shrugged. "Maybe we should call Bobby? See if he's heard of something like this before?"

"Good idea," Dean agreed.

"I'll do it, I'll call Abby as well," Serena said, jumping off of the bed and strolling outside. It was making her itch just sitting in the motel room. Dean looked at her strangely but turned his attention to Sam as he walked back into the room.

"Where's she off to?"

"Make some calls," Dean replied. He turned back to Serena's laptop and glanced over the article on the screen.

"The paper is going to look into it and let us know anything 'juicy'," Sam told him. Dean nodded and turned his attention back to the laptop.

* * *

Outside of the motel room, Serena first rang Abby and then Bobby. Abby hadn't heard anything more than the initial events. Serena thanked her before hanging up and then called Bobby.

"Serena? Are the boys okay?" Bobby asked as soon as he picked up the phone. Serena assumed this was because it was the first time she had ever called him herself.

"Yeah they're fine," Serena assured him. "We're on a case and I'm phoning around." She explained what they knew so far and waited for him to respond.

"It doesn't ring any bells," Bobby said slowly. "Are you sure there's anything, y'know, supernatural involved? Sounds to me like the wives are just murdering their husbands."

"We did think that, but it's the change in personality…almost like a possession."

"I'm about to leave for a job myself," Bobby said. "But try looking for other cases across the state."

"Thanks Bobby. Good luck." Serena shut her cell and walked back into the motel room. The Winchesters looked up at her expectantly.

"They don't know anything more; Bobby suggested looking for past cases. He was in a rush so that's all."

They passed the day looking for any possible leads. Sam took off late in the afternoon after a journalist had called him about another possible case. Serena dozed on one of the beds while Dean carried on searching, using Serena's database and John Winchester's journal. As it hit seven in the evening, Serena's cell rang. She jumped up and answered in the same time it took Dean and Sam to look up. She frowned deeply and agreed to something.

"Come on," she said to Dean as she hung up. "Bobby's in trouble at the house, we need to leave." Dean sprang up as well, shoving Serena's laptop in its bag. Sam started to as well.

"You should stay on this case," Dean replied. "We can handle Bobby." Sam started to argue.

"Sam," Serena joined in. "We can't leave this people to die." Sam nodded and slumped back down.

* * *

**Please please please review :) **


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you for the reviews! They're always welcome! **

**Chapter 19**

* * *

It was the fastest Serena had ever packed up and left before. She and Dean were in the Impala and on the road within three minutes. Dean was of course behind the steering wheel while Serena sat in the passenger's seat, looking for something to listen to. Since travelling with Dean and Sam her opinion of classic rock had changed, she still loved Muse, but Led Zeppelin was becoming a close second. She stuck in a tape and turned the volume to a suitable level. Dean nodded his approval and accelerated.

"What exactly did Bobby say?" Dean questioned.

"Well first he ordered a pizza and then-" Serena started sarcastically.

"Alright," Dean interrupted. "I get that he didn't say much."

"I'm sorry," Serena replied automatically. Then she frowned. "Actually I'm not sorry; I don't know why I apologised." She shook her head as if to clear it. "Bobby just told me he needed us ASAP, I didn't ask why."

"Are you okay?" Dean asked again.

"I'm sure it's nothing, I'm just not feeling quite right," Serena told him honestly. She glanced in the back of the car and found what she was looking for. "Hey I forgot to give you these." She grabbed the Tupperware container and put them on the seat between herself and Dean.

"Are those muffins?" Dean asked, his eyes widening.

"Yeah, Vanessa baked them and wouldn't let me leave without taking a few." Dean opened the container with one hand and grabbed the biggest looking muffin.

"It'll go straight to your hips," she joked as Dean stuffed it in his mouth. Serena chuckled and picked one up for herself. In contrast to Dean, she picked at it. She wasn't particularly hungry, but she had to admit it was tasty. She sighed. "This drive will take a full day won't it?"

"We'll get there in time," Dean promised her, knowing what she was thinking. He pressed harder on the accelerator and felt the engine roar in response. "Get some sleep so you can take over later." Serena nodded and got as comfortable as the Impala allowed.

* * *

The rest of the drive was uneventful. They swapped driver's every six hours to allow each other some time to rest. They reached Bobby's house faster than the average driver would have, but it was still nineteen hours since they had left Sam. Serena opened the car door before Dean had stopped the Impala completely. Dean quickly followed and they pulled shotguns out of the trunk. They made their way to Bobby's front door and opened it quickly. It was very quiet, too quiet for Serena's liking.

"Bobby?" Dean shouted. "You here?"

"You check upstairs," Serena whispered. Dean nodded and went to the stairs. Serena held her shotgun out in front of her, ready to shoot if necessary. She did a sweep of every room, including the closet. There was no sign of Bobby. Crossing to the stairs, she listened for anything upstairs. Dean appeared at the top and shook his head. "What about outside?" Dean pulled his cell phone out and dialled Bobby's number while Serena went outside to sweep the grounds. Her senses were sharp in the dusk light. She walked quickly, but cautiously, around the lot but couldn't see anything suspicious. She saw her Celica parked in the garage near the house and stopped briefly to lay her hand on it. The only noise was the distant sound of traffic and the singing of birds as they flew back to their nests. Where was Bobby? She jogged back inside and found Dean waiting for her.

"No sign of him out there," she informed him, then noticed his expression. "What's going on?"

"You tell me Serena," Dean said, crossing his arms. Serena frowned back at him in confusion. "I just got off the phone with Bobby, who's in Connecticut. He said he never called for help. Hell, he's already finished the job he went to do."

"What do you mean?"

"You lied," Dean stated. "You know if you wanted some alone time, we could have told Sam to go to the library." Serena pulled out her cell and found her received calls. She shoved it at Dean.

"Is that proof enough?" She replied in the same tone. Dean stared at Bobby's name at the top of Serena's received calls list. He frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Don't accuse me of making us drive for an entire day just for some fooling around." She glared at him and stormed out to where she had seen her Celica. She pulled the sheet off of it and opened the door. By that point Dean had followed her out and grabbed her upper arm in his right hand.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"You obviously don't want me here," she snapped back. "I'm going to find someone else to drag across the country just so I can get in their pants." Dean let go of her arm and stepped back as if he had received a physical blow.

"Serena…I didn't mean it like that," he said calmly. "It was a joke." She glanced at the dashboard of her car.

"You're lucky I don't have any gas," she stated and walked back to the house. Dean shut the Celica door and threw the sheet back over it.

"Women," he muttered as he followed her.

* * *

In North Carolina, Sam was parked outside the house he had visited the day before. He had rented a car after Dean and Serena had taken off in the Impala. The house in question looked identical to all the others on that street. It was an affluent neighbourhood. It was the house that the journalist had sent him to before Bobby called Serena. When he had spoken to the man of the house, Mr Franklyn Benefer, he became suspicious of his wife Rochelle. Rochelle had been a housewife all along, which didn't fit the pattern. But Franklyn had told him that over the last three days, Rochelle had become more interested in Franklyn's business plan, and had decided to become an entrepreneur. Franklyn had been surprised as Rochelle had never worked a day in her life and was more than happy to be a lady of leisure. It seemed to be the opposite of the other women involved, but it was still a complete 180 in her behaviour. Sam had tried to warn Franklyn that he was in danger, but the man had laughed at Sam as if it were a joke.

Now, Sam peered through the rental car windows at the house. He saw Franklyn in a ground floor window talking to somebody on the phone. Sam glanced at the upstairs windows and frowned. He could see Rochelle holding a cable up to her eye level and stripping it so the wires were visible. To Sam's trained eye, he knew that what she was doing would likely give whoever turned the appliance on a powerful electric shock. He gulped and opened his car door. How he was going to explain this one he didn't know. He knocked on the front door.

"Yes? Oh its you," Franklyn said, recognising Sam's face. Sam smiled awkwardly as Franklyn told the person on the phone that he would call them back.

"Mr Benefer," Sam started. "I strongly advise you don't use any electrical items in your upstairs tonight."

"What the hell are you talking about man?"

"Honey, who is it?" Rochelle asked, walking down the stairs.

"A man from the FBI," Franklyn told his wife.

"Can't you come back in the morning?" Rochelle asked, firmly but politely. Franklyn recognised the tone and nodded.

"Yeah that's a good idea," he agreed.

"Mr Benefer, I seriously advise you-"

"I know, thank you," the man said, but Sam could tell it was to shut him up. Sam stared as Franklyn shut the door on him. His mind raced as he thought of how to stop Franklyn from getting shocked to death. He settled on the simplest option and snuck around the perimeter of the house until he found what he was looking for. He smiled and quickly opened the box, he shut off the power to the house and severed the cables so it wasn't easy to solve. The real question now was whether Rochelle would try a different method or not. Sam resolved to sitting in his car and keeping watch over the house.

* * *

Neither Dean nor Serena mentioned Dean's earlier comment again. They decided that it was best that they get some sleep before driving straight back down to Sam. And of course more pressingly, they had to work out who had pretended to be Bobby and called for help. Bobby had phoned them again and told them he was on his way back to his house. Serena sat in Bobby's study and flicked through the pages of a book on possessions. It was the only explanation she could think of. But nothing new jumped out of the pages; she was so familiar with the topic now.

Dean walked into the room and lent on the doorframe, he watched as Serena stared at the pages in front of her, clearly not seeing the words written on them. It was one of the few times he saw her guard down, looking as drained as he knew she felt. He folded his arms; the slight movement shook Serena out of her reverie. Her face instantly set, hiding her tiredness. She smiled up at him.

"There's a spare room up there, thought it would be better than the floor." He moved further into room as he spoke and shut the book in front of her. Then he took her hand and led her upstairs.

"Its about time we slept on a bed instead of the Impala," Serena commented. He shot her a hurt look. "Not that she's uncomfortable." Dean nodded happily at her added words. "Will Bobby mind?" Dean shrugged.

"What he doesn't know won't make him eighty-six our asses." He took his shirt off, leaving the t-shirt beneath. Serena watched as he chucked it on the floor.

"Hey Dean," Serena's tone made him turn quickly. It was sly, suggestive. "You know you mentioned alone time…" Dean's eyes widened as she started to unbutton her shirt.

"What about it?" he mentioned, pretending to be indifferent.

"Well, I think we should make the most of it…"

* * *

Sam was startled awake by his cell phone. He had been dozing, keeping half an eye on the house in question. All the lights were off now.

"Dean?" He answered automatically.

"No, Agent Plant. It's Barry Clarke, from the Sherriff's department." Sam waited. "You told me to call if something more happened? Well two of the victims' wives committed suicide. I sent an officer round to check out some facts with Felicity Denham and he found her in the kitchen with slit wrists. I sent officers to the McAdams and Levine residences respectively and Sarah Levine was in the same state. I brought Vanessa McAdams into custody as a precaution."

"Keep someone in the room with her at all times Barry," Sam advised. "And take away any objects that could be used-"

"You think she'll actually try whilst in custody?"

"Yes Barry, that's exactly what I think. Keep me updated."

* * *

Dean woke up and breathed in deeply. There was a smell in the air that was both mouth watering and out of place. It was the smell of bacon cooking. It was so unusual that he thought he was still dreaming. He kept his eyes closed, savouring the smell of it. As he focused on it, he could distinguish sausages and mushrooms as well. He opened his eyes at the sound of the door opening.

"Hey Sweetie," Serena greeted. She was dressed in just Dean's discarded shirt.

"Sweetie?" Dean repeated, he'd never heard her use the word. But he was instantly distracted by the plate in her had as she passed it to him. It was a full English breakfast. Dean grinned and kissed her lightly on the lips. "You are a godsend."

"I know," Serena said lightly.

"You want some?" Dean asked, offering her the plate back. She shook her head and laughed.

"I guess I know the way to your heart," Serena joked, realising how out of character it was for Dean to want to share his food. "You enjoy that, I need to go clean up the kitchen." He nodded as he piled the food into his mouth. Serena laughed and left the room. Dean slowed down his chewing and started to appreciate every bite. A home cooked meal was unheard of for him. When he got out of bed, pulled his t-shirt and jeans on, he headed downstairs with his empty plate.

"I hope you saved room for lunch," Serena said happily when Dean appeared in the kitchen. She was putting plates back into the cupboards after washing up. Dean blew out a whistle; it was cleaner than he had ever seen it.

"I appreciate all this, really I do," Dean said, emphasising with his eyebrows. "But don't you think we should focus on figuring out what the hells going on?"

"I think you've got that covered," she replied smiling confidently at him. "I've got a pie to bake."

"Pie?" Dean repeated hopefully.

"Yes, and then I have to start dinner for my hungry man." Dean frowned, there was something very wrong with Serena's sudden urge to cook, but the food was so appealing. It didn't help that she was still wearing just his shirt and some underwear. "Oh and sweetie, can I borrow your cell? I left my charger in the motel room." Dean nodded and chucked his cell to her before leaving the room. When he had gone, Serena removed the sim card and placed the phone on the worktop, pocketing the sim.

* * *

**More coming soon! Please review :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks for the reviews guys! **

**Chapter 20!**

* * *

The night passed by uneventful for Sam. He rang the doorbell when he saw that Rochelle was up. He wanted to check that Franklyn was still alive before he put a call through to the Sherriff's office. Rochelle answered the door and smiled politely when she saw it was him.

"Have you come to give us our power back? You know it makes cooking a challenge."

"I'm sorry about that," Sam replied. "Can I speak to Franklyn?"

"He's in bed still," Rochelle stated primly. Sam made no move to leave. "If its that important to the FBI, I suppose you can go upstairs." Sam smiled quickly and walked passed her. Taking the stairs two at a time, he hurried to check on Franklyn. As Rochelle had said, her husband was still asleep. Sam checked he was breathing and went back downstairs. As soon as he was back inside his rental he called the Sherriff's office.

"Barry? I need you to take Rochelle Benefer into custody."

"You mean Miss Carey?"

"They're not married?" Sam asked in confusion.

"Engaged last spring," Barry informed him. "Is Franklyn…"

"Not yet, but he's in danger. Its protective custody of course."

"I'll send some boys round now," Barry assented. Sam ended the call and stared back at the house. If he left now, was Franklyn going to be safe until the 'boys' arrived? It was a risk Sam was going to have to take, he didn't know how many other couples had been infected by whatever was going on. He turned the engine on and drove back to the motel room. He had more information to work with now. It was no longer limited to married couples. And it ended in death for both the man and the woman.

* * *

In South Dakota, Dean was tucking into steak and chips. He had spent the better part of the morning flicking through Bobby's collection of books. After exhausting the books about possessions, Dean had moved onto books focusing on demons in general. Just as he was about to start looking into volumes on other supernatural creatures, Serena had called him into the dining room and put the steak in front of him. She was dressed in one of the skirts she used only when pretending to be a grief councillor or something similar and high heels. This surprised Dean, as he knew she hated the outfit. He shrugged it off, thinking that she just wanted to escape the world of hunting for a day or two.

"Serena, don't you think you've cooked enough now?" He said between mouthfuls. "We've got a case to finish." Serena, who was dusting the windowsill, turned to face him.

"I would love to Sweetie, but I've got a lot to do," Serena said sweetly. She wrinkled her nose slightly, running a finger over the surface and seeing the amount of dust she picked up on her finger. "Have you seen how dirty this house is?"

"Well yeah, its Bobby's," Dean replied. "The man doesn't spend a lot of time tidying."

"Then I'm doing him a favour," she smiled at him in a way that let him know she wasn't going to change her mind. She turned her back to him again and reached up on her tiptoes to get the top of the window. He took a deep breath.

"As much as I love the food, and believe me, I love the food, we're on a job Rena, that comes first." Serena turned again and dropped the duster.

"Anything for you Honey," she said. "Let me just wash your plate and I'll meet you in the study." She picked up his plate before he could argue and whisked it away into the kitchen.

"Hey I wasn't finished," he complained aloud. Why had she suddenly changed her mind? He saw his cell phone lying on the counter and picked it up, pocketing it before going back to the study. Serena walked in a few moments later and sat across from him. They sat in silence, each reading through a book. Dean glanced up to find Serena staring around the room as if she wanted nothing better but to tidy it.

"Something wrong?" He asked, closing his book. She smiled at him brightly.

"Nothing to worry about," she told him. "I was just deciding what you'd like best for dinner."

"Lets just concentrate on this first," Dean told her. They went back to researching, Serena pulled her laptop out in front of her and started searching. After half an hour she smiled broadly. Dean moved round to get a look at the computer screen. He read the title of the page.

"How to cook the perfect pot roast," he repeated. "Serena, why are you looking at recipes? Have you been looking into the case at all?"

"Well I started to, but then I heard your belly rumble," she shook her head. "Then I just had to find a recipe."

* * *

After spending an hour at the library, Sam thought he knew what was going on. He dialled Dean as soon as he was sure. When his brother didn't answer his cell Sam got worried. He tried calling Serena instead, but he got no answer there either. Serena must have already been infected. He cursed and ran a hand over his face. Did Dean know what was happening? Sam didn't think so. He stood up abruptly and paced. In desperation, Sam called Bobby.

"Bobby, are you home yet?" Sam demanded as soon as the other hunter picked up.

"No, I got stuck in traffic if you'll believe it," Bobby replied. "What's the rush?"

"Serena was infected by the demon, Dean's in danger."

"I'm not far off now," Bobby told him. "You concentrate on ganking the son of a bitch." There was one more call Sam needed to make after he ended the call to Bobby.

"Ruby, I need your knife," he said as soon as she answered.

"Well hello to you too Sam," she replied in her usual tone. "I don't run a rental service you know." As Sam turned around he saw her standing in front of him.

"Damnit Ruby, I need the knife," he said, throwing his phone on the bed.

"I warned you that the skank would be a problem," Ruby reminded him. "But you didn't listen."

"How do you know Serena has anything to do with it," Sam asked suspiciously.

"Lucky guess," the demon replied.

"Dean's gonna die if we don't stop the demon responsible," Sam replied, losing patience. "If you don't give me that knife I'll-"

"You'll what Sam? Give me that hurt puppy look until I hand it over?" Sam glared at her.

"Fine, you know what, I'll even help you," Ruby stated. "Unless you're feeling suicidal." Sam nodded, he actually did appreciate the help, it would make things happen a lot faster. "Do you know who the demon is?"

"The name is Demetri, but I don't know who he is possessing."

"Well lucky for you I can sense other demons. Come on." She walked out of the motel room after chucking the knife to him. He followed her quickly and hoped Bobby would get home soon.

* * *

Bobby turned into the dirt track that would take him to his house and pulled up next to it. He saw all the lights were on. He grabbed his gun and tucked it into his jacket where he could reach it easily. The curtain twitched and he saw Dean peering out. Bobby sighed in relief; Serena hadn't tried to kill him yet then. Dean opened the door and ushered him in quickly.

"Hey Bobby," he greeted.

"Dean. Where's Serena?"

"In the kitchen. She heard you pull up and is just heating up some pot roast for you." Bobby's eyes widened slightly.

"Right well, thanks," he replied awkwardly. "Listen Dean, Serena's been-"

"Busy in the kitchen," Serena finished for him as she walked into the living room. She handed him a plate and a knife and fork. "Here you are." She walked over to Dean and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Do you want any more?"

"I don't think I could fit another mouthful in," Dean replied, rubbing his stomach. Serena grinned. She left the room and went to tidy up the kitchen. Bobby looked around the room suspiciously.

"Has she…cleaned?" he asked in disbelief, he put the plate down on the table in front of him.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Dean replied.

"Dean, Serena's been infected," Bobby said quietly. "By the same thing in North Carolina." Dean looked at him for a few seconds, and then the penny dropped.

"I thought she was acting a bit differently," he agreed.

"You can be such an idiot, boy," Bobby replied, shaking his head. "Leave it to me." He emptied the food into the bin in the corner and walked into the kitchen. Dean followed behind him at a slower pace. He handed the plate back to Serena and when she reached for it Bobby pulled her arm behind her back, the plate clattered the floor as Bobby dropped it to grab the other one.

"Bobby? What are you doing?" Serena asked in confusion. Bobby looked at Dean and nodded. Dean went into the study and got the nearest chair. Bobby led Serena into the room and sat her on the chair. Dean grabbed some rope from where he knew Bobby kept it and fastened it around her arms and ankles. Serena looked at him with pleading eyes. "Sweetie, what's going on?"

"Its better this way," Bobby told them both. "Its only a matter of time before she tries to kill you."

"Me? Bobby you're mad," Serena bit out. She looked genuinely scared by the idea. Dean backed away and leaned on the doorpost again. He couldn't believe how he had ignored the signs. He had been distracted by the way she had been looking after him.

* * *

Sam and Ruby sat inside of Sam's rental outside a house near the McAdams's house. Sam looked through the side window at the house in question. Ruby had assured him the demon was inside that house, Sam had thought of rushing in there, but Ruby had told him to wait. Now Sam glared at the house as Ruby stepped out and walked closer to the house. She was still a few yards away from the front door, but she turned and nodded at him. He instantly got out of the car and walked passed her. He knelt in front of the door and picked the lock. Ruby rolled her eyes behind him; Demetri would be able to sense them, but she didn't stop him. Sam pushed the door open and stepped into the house. Ruby followed close behind and nodded towards the door to the left.

Sam remembered suddenly. He had seen Serena walk out of this house when he had dropped he at the McAdams house. Then he felt himself go flying into the wall. Ruby acted quickly and slammed Demetri into the wall opposite. Sam dropped to the floor and stood up quickly. He'd feel that in the morning.

"Sam hurry," Ruby told him. "He's stronger than me." Sam nodded and put the knife to Demetri's throat.

"How do we reverse the infection?" Sam demanded. The fat balding man laughed.

"You can't."

"Then I'll just kill you," Sam spat back.

"That won't help your brother Sam, though he should be dead in…oh I don't know… a minute." Sam's eyes widened. He drew back the knife ready to stab the demon.

"You called Serena, said you were Bobby," Sam stated. "What I don't get is why." The demon rolled his eyes.

"Its kind of difficult to, how did you say…go _Stepford…_ when you're in a motel." Sam nodded slightly; he saw the logic there.

"Fine, but why go to all that effort?"

"There's a bounty on both of their heads," the demon smirked at Sam. "On yours as well. And then Serena came to visit me personally. Why would I pass up this opportunity?"

_"_A bounty?"

"It's not just Lilith that wants you dead," Demetri laughed. "Serena has powerful enemies too. And they want you dead for helping."

"I told you," Ruby muttered. Sam growled slightly and raised the blade, ready to plunge it into Demetri's chest.

"I'll go finish the job myself," the demon told them, and then opened his mouth. The demon fled out of Mr Smalls's body. Sam swore and rushed out of the house.

* * *

Dean watched Serena from where he stood in the living room. He was angled so that she couldn't stare at him with confused eyes as she had been before. Bobby was grabbing herbs for a ritual that should get rid of the demonic influence on her. It had only been twenty minutes since they had tied her to the chair, but it felt longer to Dean. Every now and then Serena would call out to him.

"Are we expecting a visit from the demon?" Dean asked Bobby.

"If Sam messes up then sure," Bobby replied. "You guys are big targets."

"Can we untie her? I really don't think she'll try and kill me, especially with you here."

"Dean, you failed to notice she'd changed in the first place, excuse me if I don't trust your judgement right now." He turned his back on Dean and rummaged around in a box. Dean turned his attention to the study.

"Son of a bitch," he said, before hurrying into the room. All he could see was an empty chair. As he entered the room he stopped short. "Bobby, get in here." In the corner of the room, a middle-aged man with demon eyes was holding a knife to Serena's throat. Dean wasn't sure if Serena could defend herself in her housewife mindset. Bobby was at his side instantly. Bobby's phone rang; he put it to his ear, keeping his eyes firmly on the demon. He listened for a second.

"Yeah we got it," he said levelly. "Cos he's standing right in front of us." He ended the call. "Sam said that the demon was coming our way."

"Real helpful," Dean replied sarcastically. "What do you want?"

"You ruined my plan by tying your girl up," the demon said. "Kinky as it is, it was annoying. So I came here to finish it. Or actually, to let her finish it." He lowered his face and whispered in her ear. Serena nodded slowly and took the knife from him. Serena stepped forward.

"Sweetie, why don't we rustle you something up in the kitchen?" She asked, walking over to him.

"I'm stuffed from the pot roast," Dean replied. Serena kept walking towards him, raising the knife. "Bobby, what's the plan?"

"Keep her busy," the older hunter told him. "There's some rope in the cupboard above the sink." Dean shot him a strange look. "What?" Dean shook his head and backed his way to the kitchen. Serena followed him, smiling sweetly. Bobby circled around the room.

"What is the plan Bobby?" Demetri asked, mockingly. "I'm not going to step into any of your traps."

"I know, only an idiot would do that," Bobby agreed in the same tone. The demon appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye. Bobby punched Demetri and then found himself flying across the room. But his plan had worked. "You forgot to look under the rug, dumbass." Demetri snarled and tried to step towards him.

* * *

In the kitchen, Dean dodged another swipe of the knife. He had found the rope Bobby had mentioned, but Serena was not giving him a chance to use it. He jumped backwards as she sliced at his stomach, his back hit the worktop.

"Serena," Dean pleaded. He didn't want to fight her. "How about some of that pot roast. I think I'm hungry now." His distraction didn't work. The smile on her face was creeping him out. He remembered earlier how she'd changed her mind completely because he had more or less ordered her to help him. He steeled his voice. "Rena, stop what you're doing. You don't want to do this." Serena paused, lowering the knife a fraction. Dean took the opportunity to bind her wrists once again and then wrapped his arms around her. He kept a tight hold on her because he knew she was a more than capable fighter.

"Bobby," Dean shouted. "Hurry up." Dean could hear Bobby saying the exorcising rites. Serena struggled against the ropes and his arms. He heard the demon scream and then Serena sagged in his arms.

* * *

**Please review! Let me know what you think!**


	21. Chapter 21

****

Thank you reviewers!

**Chapter 21**

* * *

The first thing Serena did when she came to her sense was to get changed into jeans and a baggy t-shirt she swiped from Dean's bag. She wanted to be dressed as differently to how she had been earlier that day as possible. After changing she came back downstairs, feeling slightly embarrassed by her behaviour even though she couldn't help herself. Bobby had left to drive the middle-aged man to the hospital. When the demon had been exorcised, the man had fallen to the floor unconscious. Dean was clearing the books away and burning the herbs Bobby had prepared just in case anyone was still infected. He looked up when she entered the room.

"You look like you again," he commented. She smiled and stretched her arms out in front of her.

"I feel like me," she stated. She paused and then sighed. "Do we need to talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Dean replied. "So you tried to kill me, it won't be the last time." He thought over all the times he and Sam had been in a similar situation.

"That's comforting," she said sarcastically. She took a deep breath. "Dean…"

"The answer's no," he said firmly, he walked away from the herbs he was burning. He picked up a book from the floor and put it back on a shelf.

"You don't even know what the question was," Serena replied, smiling slightly.

"Sure I do," he stopped in front of her. "You were going to ask if I preferred the house wife Serena." She dipped her head, avoiding his gaze.

"I mean I understand if you do… she was pretty perfect for you. I know you like your food," she joked feebly. He lifted her chin up gently.

"She had nothing on you," he stated. She smiled slightly at that. "Anyway, I'd make Michael Moore look skinny if you kept on feeding me." Serena chuckled appreciatively. "Do you remember it all?"

"I hated every second of it," she said, she ran a hand through her long hair. "I just couldn't stop myself; every speck of dust ate away at me. And the cooking, ah it was a nightmare. I didn't even know I could cook. You know you asked me if I wanted the white picket fence life?" Dean nodded. "I stand by what I said, it's not for me."

"Really? I could get used to it," Dean joked, but he felt the need to clarify it. "But not with housewife Serena. Just the way you are right now." Serena laughed and punched him on the arm. "Still can't punch lightly can you?"

"Nope," she grinned. "Now get in the kitchen and cook me something. You owe me!" Dean looked at her as if she were crazy. She rolled her eyes. "A beer would work too."

"You can drink it on the road then," Dean told her. "We need to go pick Sammy up."

* * *

Two days later, Serena sat in a diner booth next to Dean and across from Sam. They had caught each other up to speed and were now just deciding on the next course of action. In front of Serena was a bowl of the soup of the day. Dean had scoffed at her and taken a mouthful of his bacon double cheese burger.

"Look, if there's a bounty on all of our heads, we should finish the Zodiac demons and then ice Lilith," Sam said, interrupting Dean and Serena's exchange.

"Why don't we stop Lilith first," Serena suggested. She took a sip of the soup and screwed her face up. It didn't taste like soup should, it was almost solid.

"No, we take the Zodiac's down, then we go after Lilith," Dean stated. Whilst he was speaking Serena grabbed the burger and took a bite. Dean looked at her as if she had committed the ultimate sin, she grinned widely and handed it back to him.

"Guys, focus," Sam said.

"Right, well I want the demons dead before we do anything else," Dean reiterated.

"Your deal is more important," Sam replied.

"Sam, don't start this again," Dean said firmly. "I don't care what Ruby has told you."

"I've apologised a million times Sam," Serena added, annoyed. "I'm not getting in the way of your bromance." Sam took a deep breath.

"That's not what I meant," he said. "She has a point, but it can wait. We need a plan to tackle the demons then."

* * *

"This won't work," Serena muttered under her breath. It was a few days later and she was sitting in the backseat of the Impala. Dean was driving and Sam was sat in the passenger's seat still reading up on Zodiac lore. Serena knew this wouldn't be easy, she wished that the Winchesters' had agreed to call Bobby. As soon as they got out of the car, Serena planned to get her phone and ring him. Dean had already confiscated her phone, arguing that it wasn't Bobby's fight, it was theirs and they could handle it. To Serena, that meant that Dean was worried and didn't want to put Bobby in danger. They were facing seven very powerful demons. She went over the plan again in her head. It had its flaws but according to Sam that was necessary. She wasn't entirely sure why.

"Right so out of all of us I think Dean is the safest," Sam said, looking up into the rear-view mirror. Serena met his eyes in it and pulled a face.

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," she replied lightly.

"Hey!" Dean protested. Serena laughed at his reaction. She turned her attention to the plan. Sam's theory was that if the demons that corresponded with any of their zodiac signs touched them then they could influence the hunters and exploit their traits against them.

"You need to avoid Gemini, and for me it's Aries, long enough for someone else to gank them?" Serena clarified.

"Yeah, if not things could get nasty," Sam agreed. He shared a look with Dean, no doubt remembering what happened when they faced the seven deadly sins. Dean had told her what happened and she wanted to avoid it at all costs.

"Have you decided where we're going yet?" She asked Dean after a few minutes of silence.

"I asked back at that last town and there's an old abandoned barn about fifteen minutes away," he told her. Serena nodded. She was more scared than she would let on. These demons were out to kill her, but that at least meant that they wouldn't be as focused on Dean and Sam. Unless of course they realised just how much it would please the rest of the demon world, especially Lilith, if they killed the Winchesters', she thought darkly. She glanced at Sam and wondered how this war would end. This was just one battle. Her thoughts touched lightly on the fact that Dean wouldn't be fighting much longer, her gaze drifted to him and she let out an involuntary sigh. He had just under a month left now. He met her eyes in the mirror and she knew he could tell what she was thinking. She could see the pain in his eyes and knew hers held the same.

Dean had vowed that the Zodiac demons would be in hell before he would be. She didn't follow that thought any further, she wouldn't herself. She couldn't even comprehend an 'after'. The world wouldn't know it had lost a protector, but she knew she wouldn't get over it. He had three weeks left.

* * *

Dean parked in front of the abandoned barn and set about unloading weapons from the trunk. Serena had reminded the brothers of the Zodiac demons use of spirits. Dean handed Sam a shotgun and a blade made from iron. He accepted them and pulled out a container of salt before heading into the barn, leaving Serena and Dean by the trunk. Serena pulled out her own pistol and checked that it was loaded. She slipped it into the back of her jeans and pulled out spare ammo to put in her jacket pockets.

"After this I say we go to Mexico," she said, watching Dean load his shotgun. He paused and looked over at her, smiling at the suggestion.

"It won't be hot enough in hell?" he joked. He grabbed more weapons and piled them into a bag.

"I'm serious Dean, you deserve some quality time before you…" He kissed her forehead when she couldn't finish the sentence.

"I wish we had the Colt," he stated. "Guess it's more of a party this way." He grabbed his bag of tricks and they headed towards the barn. Serena noticed Sam had already started drawing a devils trap near the doorway, leaving a small gap in the circle. She pulled out a piece of chalk and handed it to Dean so he could draw one as well. Sam handed her the salt and she circled outside the barn with it, making sure the line wasn't broken. When they were ready she would break the line until the demons were in the barn with them. Then she would redraw that section, trapping them inside the barn with the hunters. While Serena and Dean set about setting up, Sam started to copy out the symbols necessary for summoning the demons to them. It was complex and archaic, but Sam was positive that it was the best way to bring the demons to them. Serena didn't question him after all the books he had looked at.

They came together in the centre of the barn after an hour's preparation. Each one of them knew the plan backwards. There were buckets of holy water and spare ammo hidden around the barn, and yet more ammo on their bodies. Serena looked at the Winchesters; they looked like they were going to war. She knew she must look the same. In one hand, she carried her pistol and in the other she held an iron bar. Dean had two shotguns and Sam had the iron dagger and a shotgun. A chuckle escaped her lips as she saw the words of an exorcism scrawled on Dean's hand, extending up his arm. Dean followed her gaze and rolled his eyes.

"How have you not learnt that yet?" she asked in disbelief, it had been one of the first things her uncle had taught her. He pouted and glared at Sam when he started laughing. They sobered up quickly.

"Should we get started?" Serena asked.

"No time like the present," Sam agreed, kneeling down to draw the final symbol. Dean hurried up the ramp leading to the upper mezzanine, where a sniper filled with Serena's salt coated bullets waited for him and Serena jogged to the barn doors. She moved the salt apart with her boot and stepped to the side. She put the gun in its usual place and picked up the bag of salt from the floor. She took a few more steps away from the door and nodded back at Sam.

"The ghosts will come first, they won't be far behind," Sam clarified, looking hard at his brother on the floor above and then at Serena.

"Let's get this party started," Dean said, he lined up the sniper with the door as Sam said the final summoning word.

One by one, ghosts started appearing at various points within the barn until there were eight. All three hunters opened fire at the ghosts, each having an area to focus on to avoid friendly fire. Serena glanced behind her to see how close she was to the barn wall and when she glanced in front of her, she saw five solid figures in amongst the ghosts flickering ones. She shot Sam a worried look, if the other two demons didn't appear soon, they couldn't complete the salt ring. He gave her a signal to do it anyway, but she held off. They only had one shot at it. The demons looked around and separated into three groups. The three biggest demons headed straight for Serena while the remaining two halved and targeted the Winchesters respectively.

* * *

**The rest of the fight will be uploaded soooon! Please review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

* * *

Serena backed away, wary of the three demons approaching her. She gripped her pistol tightly. She didn't want to have to use it, hoping to save the humans that the Zodiac demons were possessing. The demon closest to her was a heavyset dark skinned man, he leered at her. The one to his left was a tall rake of a man with a mess of ginger hair. The one on the right was as tall as Serena, but she could tell he was well muscled.

"Serena," the heavyset man said. "You've dragged this fight out for almost a year. What a coward." Serena smiled at them all.

"Hello boys," she greeted coyly, ignoring his remark. It would be a challenge. And she liked challenges. "I'm afraid we're gonna have to make this quick. I have a hair appointment soon." They all knew the humour was a bluff. Then she acted, dropping the salt bag first. She knew from the hour spent setting up that what she wanted was only a foot behind her, to the left. She grabbed for it and tilted it, pouring the bucket of holy water over the three demons. They all hissed as steam sprang up from where the holy water touched them. Serena used the time to start the exorcism rites she knew off by heart. Before she got half way, she went flying to the side, away from the wall she had been in front of. She landed heavily on her left arm. She dropped the iron bar and cradled her arm to her chest. Her eyes widened as two ghosts flickered into sight a few inches away from each side of her. She shot at both the ghosts with her pistol and used her right arm to help her get to her feet. She put her gun in the back of her jeans after clicking the safety on and picked up the iron bar. She did it just in time for the ghosts to appear again. She swung the iron bar first at the right one and then at the left, causing them to disappear again. Using the moment's break she looked at the mezzanine to see if Dean was okay. She cringed when she saw him pinned to the wall. She switched weapons again and aimed her pistol at the demon walking towards him. The demon was distracted long enough for Dean to get the upper hand again. He nodded at her in thanks just as she sensed a presence directly behind her. She swung her weapon round and fired on instinct. The ginger haired demon cried out as the salt worked its way into his system. Serena punched him and knocked his legs from underneath him. The heavyset one was in front of her as she stood up straight. She took a step backwards and raised her gun again. He knocked it out of her hand easily and laughed. Every step back she took, he took one towards her. She stopped and joined in his laughter. He looked at her in confusion and then glanced upwards.

"Its amazing how often you guys fall for that," she gloated. "Don't go anywhere now." She turned her attention back to the ghosts; she let off a couple of shots in their general direction while she glanced around to see where Sam and the demons were. Sam was at the far side of the barn with Dean standing next to him. Serena was surprised; she hadn't noticed him leave the mezzanine. Her head whipped to the side at the force of a punch from the ginger haired demon.

"Payback's a bitch," he spat. Serena glared at him and dived to the right, rummaging in the straw pile.

"I'm the only bitch around here," Serena replied, swinging the newly found shotgun level with his chest. She felt only a second of guilt went through her as she pulled the trigger. The demon fell backwards with the impact. Serena felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned around expecting to see Dean, or maybe even Sam. What she saw was one of the demons that had gone after Sam at first. She pulled her face. "Aries, right?"

"That's right honey," the blonde girl said. "Now, why don't you drop the weapons and take those demons on." She pointed at the three demons near the Winchesters. Serena nodded and grinned. The demons saw the exchange and left the brothers surrounded by six remaining ghosts.

* * *

Dean gave up with the sniper as ghosts appeared on the mezzanine next to him. He picked up his shotgun as he turned to face them. The two ghosts disappeared as the salt rounds went through them. He glanced down at the ground level and saw that all the demons were in the barn now. He watched as Sam closed the salt line. A brunette demon appeared at his side and punched him across the face. The force of it knocked him down, where he cracked his head on the edge of the sniper.

"What, no witty banter from Dean Winchester?" the brunette mocked. "And there was me thinking this would be a challenge." He got up quickly and punched her back. She took a step backwards but was otherwise unmoved.

"I don't even want to look at you," Dean replied. "You fugly." He grabbed up his bag of salt and placed his other arm across her chest and rammed her into the wall. He poured salt into her mouth as she growled at him. She screamed in agony and tried to shake him off. Hands grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him off the balcony.

* * *

The demon that headed in Sam's direction was less intimidating than the three that went after Serena. She was a petite pretty blonde and the other was an acne faced boy. He threw salt at the two nearest ghosts. He looked stared at the blonde and then dived around her to where he saw Serena had dropped the bag of salt. He saw the two remaining demons cross over the line.

"Don't think we'll go easy on you Sam," the blonde demon stated. "We're not fans. You're not strong enough to lead us." In one motion he leapt to the doorway and poured salt across the gap. He dropped the salt bag and lifted up his shotgun, let off a shot at the blonde. One of the recent arrivals disappeared over to where Dean was. The other stayed next to Sam. This demon was wearing an acne faced boy; he took the opportunity to strike Sam across the face. Sam fell to the floor and gingerly touched his jaw. Whilst on the floor he dropped his dagger and reached into his pocket for a piece of chalk. The boy demon unknowingly stood in the open devils trap. Sam connected the open lines of the circle and started speaking the words to exorcise the demon. He was so practised in saying it that the words came quickly. He managed to complete the shortened version of the rites before the blonde demon picked him off the floor and slammed him back down. He cried out in pain as he hit is head on the ground. By the time he looked up, the demon smoke had disappeared and the teenager had collapsed. Sam reached to feel his pulse but couldn't find one. Sam did a quick headcount of ghosts and smiled triumphantly when he saw two were missing. His theory had been right after all. The blonde picked him up again by the back of his shirt and chucked him across the length of the barn. She flicked her wrist and he slammed into the barn wall. He struggled to break free, but her power held him fast. She stood before him and tightened her fist. He choked at his airways constricted. From out of nowhere Dean came flying off the mezzanine and fell right on top of the blonde demon.

"Sorry baby, but I'm seeing someone," he said, climbing off of her. He looked down at Sam and smiled. "Sitting down on the job Sammy?" He held out his hand to help Sam stand up. Sam grabbed his shotgun and took it, shaking his head. His face changed.

"Dean, duck," Sam shouted. Dean did what he was told instantly. Sam shot at the demons that appeared behind his brother. Dean stood up again and realised they were cornered by five demons.

"Son of a bitch," Dean muttered. He reloaded his shotgun with ammo from his pocket. Sam ducked and found another bucket of holy water. He picked it up and sprayed it across the three demons. Dean took the time to see Serena, she was cradling her left arm but otherwise she seemed fine. He watched as she shot one of the demons in the chest. Then he focused on his own demons. He aimed at the nearest demon and pulled the trigger. The demon fell to the floor, but soon stood up. All three of the demons turned away from them and looked towards Serena. The blonde demon he had fallen on top of was standing with her hand resting on Serena's shoulder.

"How much do you wanna bet that she's Aries?" Sam asked. They watched as Serena nodded and grinned at the demons in front of the Winchesters. Suddenly they were surrounded by six ghosts instead of the demons. Serena dropped her weapons and walked straight forwards to meet them.

"Rena," Dean shouted. "What are you doing?" He shot the ghost that appeared in front of him then reloaded. Serena ignored him. "Sam, what negative traits do Aries have?"

"They're reckless and impulsive," Sam replied. "They love challenges, and what's more challenging than fighting off five demons with your bare hands?"

"Son of a bitch," Dean snapped. He looked at the wall behind him and saw an iron bar leaning against it. He dropped his shotguns and picked it up. He swung at the ghosts, clearing a path. "Start exorcising." He commanded his brother. He pulled out a gun loaded with salt coated bullets and shot at the demons. The blonde waved her arm and he flew back to the mezzanine. Sam used is iron dagger to move the ghosts out of his way. He started saying the words for exorcising as he jogged towards the demon Serena had trapped in a devil's trap. He focused all his attention on that demon. The heavyset man choked and thick black smoke issued from his mouth. He collapsed to the ground. Another ghost disappeared. Sam swiped at a flickering figure to his left.

Serena was throwing punches at the circle of demons surrounding her. It infuriated her that they were laughing at her. They stopped laughing when she knocked two of them down with a well placed leg swipe. The blonde demon, Aries, glared at her with hatred, throwing her across the room into a pile of crates. Serena moaned and tried to stand up. She pulled herself into a standing position slowly. She had hit her head on the corner of one the crates before it collapsed under her weight. The demons soon surrounded her again, each taking a turn at punching her. Aries picked up a dagger laying in the remains of the crates. Serena cursed, she had been the one to put it there earlier. Aries swiped at her with it. Serena dodged and then ran straight at Aries, not giving the blade a second thought.

Dean had fallen right next to the sniper rifle he had abandoned earlier. He angled it down and shot at the demons surrounding Serena. He swore as he saw Serena get impaled with the dagger. He shot straight again. Sam used the distraction Dean was causing to start the exorcism ritual for the remaining demons. He said it clearly as he plunged the dagger into another ghost. Just as he was about to finish the ritual, a demon appeared in front of him and grabbed his throat, crushing his windpipe. Sam choked and grabbed at the demons hands. He kept one hand struggling against the strength of the demon and snaked his other hand into his jacket. He popped the lid of a small bottled and emptied the contents onto the demons head. The demon shrieked and dropped Sam to the ground. The hunter took a few shallow breathes and spoke the last few words. Smoke issued from all of the demons mouths as the ghosts flickered out of the barn for the last time. Even the salt ring didn't keep them inside the barn. The vessels all dropped to the ground.

Dean ran down the barn steps and pulled Serena off of the blonde. The dagger was still lodged in her side. Dean cursed again and pulled it out, pulling his shirt off and holding it on her wound to staunch the bleeding. He glanced at his brother.

"You okay Sammy?" He asked. Sam nodded, rubbing his throat. Dean nodded, turning his attention back to Serena as she whimpered.

"Did we win?" she asked him.

"Yeah, we did," he soothed. "We got 'em all." He forgot about his own injuries, a couple of bruised ribs and a cut across his forehead, and picked her up gently. Sam checked for pulses in any of the vessels. He found faint pulses in two of them.

"Dean, we need to take these two as well," Sam told him. Dean glared at the bodies.

"If they're not in the car in 30 seconds, I'm leaving without them," he bit out. Sam nodded and lifted the female with a pulse. She had brunette hair. She was light so Sam hurried to the car behind Dean. He watched as Dean eased Serena into the back seat, leaning her against the backrest. Sam put the brunette in the car and hurried back into the barn. The other was a middle aged man. He was heavier than the girl had been. He heaved the man back to the car at a slower pace. Dean had turned on the engine and was glaring at the door. Sam placed the man into the back seat next to the brunette and jumped into the passenger's seat next to Dean. The older Winchester wasted no time, hitting the accelerator as soon as Sam was in the car.

* * *

Dean didn't stop driving until they reached the nearest hospital. He pulled up abruptly outside of the sliding doors and jumped out of the car. Serena had passed out at some point during the drive which had caused Dean to drive faster. Sam got out of the car at the same as his brother; he rushed into the hospital to get help. When he got back to the car, Dean had picked Serena up off of the backseat. The nurses wheeled out three gurneys.

"There's two more in the car," Dean told the nurses as he placed Serena on the nearest gurney. He helped one of the nurses wheel it back inside. Sam stayed by the car, helping the nurses get the brunette and the middle aged man out of the backseat.

"What happened?" One of the remaining nurses asked as she looked at the motionless bodies.

"Me and my brother were driving through town and saw these people being attacked," Sam lied. "We stopped and tried to help them."

"That's brave of you," said a different nurse. Sam smiled quickly and helped place the middle aged man onto a gurney. When the nurses wheeled the gurneys back into the hospital, Sam hopped into the impala and moved the car away from the entrance. He dug around in the glove box until he found a medical insurance card bearing the name Natalie Braeber, Serena's fake card. He shoved it into his pocket and then jogged to the hospital.

* * *

A few hours later, Dean sat beside Serena's hospital bed. He rested his head on his chin and stared into space. Serena had come out of surgery half an hour ago and had not woken up yet. Whilst she was in surgery the nurses had taken care of Dean and Sam's injuries. They had cleaned Dean's head wound and sealed it with butterfly stitches and wrapped up his cracked ribs. Sam had gotten his jaw checked out, but had nothing other than bruises. Sam walked into the room and sat down in a chair next to Dean. He blew out a breath.

"The girl is in ICU, the doctors aren't hopeful though," he informed Dean. "The guy woke up briefly but fell into a coma."

"So we didn't save anyone," Dean surmised. Sam shook his head.

"We couldn't have played it any other way Dean," Sam comforted. "And we sent those demons straight back to hell." Dean didn't say anything, his eyes focused on Serena.

"Dean…"

"Save it Sammy," Dean replied. "Cos right now it feels like we screwed it up big time."

"She will wake up." After a while, Sam left to find them a motel to stay in close by, just in case they had to stay for a long period of time. It took another hour for Serena to stir. Dean stood up as soon as he heard her moan. He grabbed her hand.

"Rena? You're alright," Dean soothed. He watched as her eyelids flickered open.

"Dean..?" Serena mumbled. "Whats going on?"

"You're okay, the knife missed all your organs. You just need to take it easy for a while." Serena scoffed, causing Dean to smile. He knew she would be okay.

"I don't have time to rest," she stated, trying to sit up. "We're going to Mexico remember?" Dean chuckled.

"'Fraid not," Dean replied. "Not in this lifetime."

"Spoil sport," Serena countered.

* * *

**Tell me what you think!**


	23. Chapter 23

****

**I've changed the timeline oh so slightly from what it appears to be in the show. The battle took place about 16 days before Dean's due date. Long Distance call happens about 12-13 days before and Time is on My Side happens a week before.**

Bobby had made them visit his house after he heard about the battle from Sam. They had driven straight from the hospital after Serena had checked herself out. The two people they had saved were still in the hospital, but were recovering. Serena entered the house and let the door slam behind her. She had been outside taking a phone call. She walked to the middle of the room before speaking.

"That was odd," Serena said, chucking her phone on the table. She stared at it strangely.

"Who was it?" Sam asked. He and Dean were sitting in front of her, Sam on his laptop and Dean with a burger in front of him. Dean raised an eyebrow when she continued to stare at the phone. He put down his burger and waved his hand at her.

"Hello? Serena?" He said. She blinked.

"What?"

"Who was on the phone?" Dean repeated Sam's question.

"My mom."

"The one that kicked you out and hasn't said a word since?" He clarified.

"Its not like I have another one," Serena replied. The Winchesters shared a glance. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry. It's just thrown me."

"Well what did she want?"

"She said she missed me," she told them in disbelief. "It's taken her ten years to miss me." The brothers stayed silent, not sure of what to say. Serena shook her head and sat down, wincing as she did so. Her hand flew to her wounded side. "She wants me to visit. Obviously I told her I was too busy."

"Don't let me hold you back."

"Dean," Serena started patiently. "The woman has waited ten years; she can wait a bit longer. Besides if I have almost two weeks left with you, I'm gonna make the most of them.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Dean stood up abruptly. He'd had enough of sitting in the Bobby's living room doing pointless research. Without a word to Bobby, Sam and Serena he walked out of the room. Sam and Serena shared a look and Serena silently got up and followed him outside. It was raining so she had to shield her eyes from the downpour to see where Dean was. He was standing away from the house amongst the piles of old cars, his head tilted upwards. She jogged over to him, wishing internally that she'd grabbed a jacket. She was already soaked. Dean turned when she laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Come back inside," she suggested, her shoulders were hunched from the rain.

"So we can waste even more time?" He retorted.

"No, so you don't die early from pneumonia." Dean cracked a smile, but it was short lived. He ran a hand across his jaw.

"I'm on board and the next stop is hell," Dean remarked, turning away from her. "What difference does it make?"

"We'll find another way," Serena promised.

"How? I mean it's not like they advertise a loophole!"

"That doesn't mean there isn't one," she said emphatically, she grabbed his hand and dragged him over to the Impala. She knew he always had the keys in his pocket. They sheltered from the rain and Serena started speaking again. "What about Ruby? Sam seems so sure she can save you."

"Yeah well she's playing him," Dean countered. "The only way she could have made it clearer is if she drew me a diagram. She said she can't save me and that no one can."

"How long have you known?" Serena replied, looking out the windscreen with a hurt expression.

"A while," Dean stated. Serena looked back at him abruptly. "I didn't want to worry you even more."

"Worry doesn't come into it anymore Dean," Serena replied, glaring. She ran a hand through her wet hair. "Look, I have a friend in Minnesota that may be able to help."

"Yeah? And how is that?" He replied sceptically.

"She wouldn't say over the phone, I'll leave in the morning." Now they were at Bobby's, she could use her beloved car again.

"No, you're not leaving-" Serena put up her hand to stop him.

"Dean, I'm no longer living under the Zodiac's shadow." Dean had temporarily forgotten that Serena wasn't in immediate danger. "That's thanks to you. Now let me do this in return!"

"This isn't about getting even."

"I'm not saying it is," she replied calmly. "You've got a job to do; I'll be back before you've finished it. Besides, you want me to rest up still remember?" She indicated to her side, using it to her advantage. "Go deal with the mystery phone." Serena didn't feel calm inside; she wanted nothing more than to spend every second of Dean's remaining time at his side, but if there was even a chance to save him she would take it. She shivered, remembering she was soaked through. She noticed Dean do the same. "Come on; let's go get out of these wet clothes and into some dry ones." Dean twisted to the side to open the car door, but Dean grabbed her hand.

"I'll take you up on the first part," he told her grinning. Serena laughed and they moved to the back seats.

* * *

"There's a hoodoo priest in Louisiana," Sam suggested. It was a week later. He and Serena were camped out in her motel room while Dean was sleeping. Dean got angry every time they talked about getting him out of his deal. Serena was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed-frame, using the contact list in her database on the supernatural to figure out who could help them while Sam was searching in case he had missed lore on deals at the small table in the room. Serena's wound had almost healed completely, but she still had the stitches in.

"Get in touch; I'll try my friend in Minnesota. Call me if the priest responds and I'll see him. I have a few more leads to check out. One of them must be able to help!" She jumped when the door slammed open.

"How many times do I have to ask you to stop?" Dean snapped, walking into the room. Serena stood up after closing down her database.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked, feigning ignorance. Sam shut his laptop lid and looked up at his brother expectantly.

"Stop trying to save me!"

"We were looking for a job."

"Oh cut the crap," he told her. "I've told you both a hundred times."

"Dean-" Sam started.

"No! If we try and get out of this deal, you die. I made my choice when I made the deal. I've told you this!"

"But things have changed Dean," Sam replied, glancing at Serena. She didn't see the look, too focused on Dean.

"I won't change my mind Sammy," Dean stated.

"No, there must be a way," Serena started.

"You know, we haven't tried the universities, the professors that teach mythology and occult studies." Serena's eyes lit up.

"Like it or lump it Dean, we're doing this." They spent the next week travelling across the country talking to experts in the occult.

* * *

Sam had driven off in a rental car that morning after contacting Missouri Mosely, hoping their old friend would be able to help. After stopping Doc Benton, the brothers had met up with Serena again. Serena and Dean had stopped in the motel as they didn't have any new leads to follow just yet. Serena had taken a shower to feel like she was doing more than just sitting around. She had bought her bag into the bathroom with her so she put on her jeans and bra before she went into the main room to find her clean shirt. She had laid out the t-shirt on the bed earlier when she had rummaged through it to find her charger. Dean was sitting on the bed cleaning his guns. He looked up when she entered the room and his eyes trailed down her body appreciatively, but he frowned when he saw the stitched pink line on her stomach.

"When I'm gone-"

"If you ask me to stop hunting one more time Dean, I swear to god I'll kill you myself," Serena spat. It was the sixth time in 24 hours that he had tried to bring it up. Not that she was keeping count. She shoved her arms through the shirt sleeves and buttoned it up.

"Stop wasting your life-"

"Is that what you think you've done?" Serena asked, shocked. Dean put down the gun he was cleaning and stood up.

"I've spent all of my life saving people, and I'm going to hell anyway," Dean stated, he stopped in front of her, grabbing her hand, his grip was tight. "Hunting's taken a decade of your life. It's not fun and it sure as hell is painful, why should you keep doing it?"

"Because if I don't do it and people die I couldn't deal," she stated firmly, wrenching her hand out of his. She knew Dean was tired, and she knew it was because he was going 'downstairs' in just four days.

"Stop being a martyr," Dean snapped. "I love you but god you can be annoying." Serena opened her mouth to shout back but she closed it. She blinked a few times. Dean seemed to realise what he said then. "I mean, I uh, you know." Serena opened her mouth again. Dean turned his back on her and sat down on the motel bed where he picked up the gun and started cleaning it again. He kept his head bent down. "So uh, we should probably hit the road soon. Bobby's expecting us." Serena grinned at his actions. She hadn't expected him to say how he felt, and apparently neither had he.

"Could you, uh, run that by me again?" She asked.

"You know…Bobby…expecting us," Dean mumbled. Serena rolled her eyes, she took the gun out of his hand and put it on the side table. She sat down next to him on the bed. She waited until he looked up at her. She smiled at him.

"I love you too," she told him. The door flew open behind them. They spun round. It was only Sam.

"Well that was a waste of time," he told them. Then he stopped and sensed the tension in the room. "Am I interrupting?"

"Nah, I was trying to persuade Dean to leave me his knife collection," Serena joked. She stood up. "We should go. Bobby wants us there by nightfall."

****

* * *

**I'm sorry it's shorter than normal, but I wanted to keep the next bit in a separate chapter. Which will be uploaded soon!**

**Chapter 23 **


	24. Chapter 24

**Here's the chapter I know some of you have been waiting for/dreading!**

**Chapter 24**

* * *

Serena was heart broken. It had been one of the most painful moments of her life saying goodbye to Dean. He had forced her to stay with Bobby, while he and Sam went after Lilith. She wiped the tears that fell down her cheeks and followed Bobby into a backyard. Right now Dean was trying to get into the house Lilith was in. She was worried sick, but her thoughts kept coming back to the fact he would die either way. Bobby glanced back at her.

"Serena, we got to focus," he told her. He could see she was falling apart, but they needed to stay at the top of their game to survive this. He would get her out alive. She nodded and straightened her shoulders. He handed her his gun as they stopped in the middle of the garden. He used the shovel in his hand to unearth what he was looking for and reached into his pocket for prayer beads. Serena turned her back to him and focused on keeping watch. She heard Bobby murmur the Latin blessing and the faint splash of water when the beads hit the surface. They both snuck round to the front of the house and saw Dean and Ruby standing in front of Sam, who was picking the lock. When did Ruby get here? She wondered, but the thought quickly left her mind as she locked eyes with Dean for the last time. She nodded at him and smiled weakly. He carried on looking at her for a long few seconds. Then the sprinkler system went off and he cheered. Serena continued to stare as the three of them entered the house.

"What now Bobby?" she asked sadly.

"We make sure no one else gets in," he told her, taking his gun back from her. Not that bullets would help them too much, but the main goal was to get to Lilith. There would be casualties. The demons all stood behind the sprinklers staring at the house. So far they had been lucky they hadn't been sensed, Bobby thought. Serena took off her rucksack and pulled out the bag of salt from within it. She quickly poured it in a circle around herself and Bobby. Bobby nodded at her. "Good idea."

"I'm the brains, you're the brawn remember," she choked out, trying to distract them both. Bobby nodded again, sadly this time. She pulled out her phone and glanced at the clock. They had about 10 minutes left.

"That's not good," Bobby said sharply. Serena looked up and followed his gaze. All the demons on the street were looking straight at them. She cursed and checked the circle of salt was intact.

"Got a plan?"

"We need to get inside," he replied. It was the only thing they could do. Serena checked her gun was loaded. She silently cursed Bela for giving Lilith the colt. The demons had a clear path to where Bobby and Serena stood, and they quickly circled around them.

"I don't think that's gonna happen, will this salt keep them all out?" she asked in an undertone.

"Yes," he told her confidently. "But I don't know how good it is being stuck here. If Lilith gets the knife…"

"I know," Serena agreed. Her phone started to vibrate in her pocket. "One minute." She tried to stay strong; the last thing she wanted was to give the demons the satisfaction. Bobby put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. She took a deep breath and glared at the circle of demons. She wanted to be with Dean, she wanted to be there to comfort him, but she couldn't and it was their fault. A distant church bell rang out as it struck twelve. Dean's time was up. Serena's heart broke again at the thought of the hell hounds arriving for him. She was angry, she wanted to fight through the demons and go to him. She felt the anger begin to consume her. Bobby looked at her and saw hatred in her eyes. His comforting hand became a restraining one. He had made Dean a promise.

"Serena," he warned. "That's not gonna help anything."

"I don't know Bobby," she replied conversationally. "I think it's gonna make me feel a lot better."

"And what happens if you die?"

"So be it," she said. Bobby forced her to look at him.

"Do you think that's what Dean would want?" Serena dropped her gaze and sighed.

"He's gone Bobby," she said, sounding like a little girl. The demons outside the circle hadn't moved from where they were standing. They just calmly watched them.

"I know," he replied softly. A noise drew both of their attentions to the demons as their heads all snapped upwards and black smoke issued from their mouths. "What in god's name…?"

"They've gone," she commented when all of the bodies fell to the ground. Without a seconds hesitation she ran towards the house the others has entered.

"Serena," Bobby called, and followed behind her. She led them across the lawn, the road and up the path into the house.

"Dean," she called foolishly. She could hear a noise coming from a room at the back of the house and hurried towards it. Sam had his back to her, cradling somebody. She glanced to the left and saw Ruby's body on the floor. Her attention only left Sam for a second. She moved further into the room and had a clear view of Dean.

"No!" She cried, dropping to her knees opposite Sam. She took in the sight of Dean's mauled body. She knew in theory that the hellhound would rip him apart, but the sight was so much worse. She hesitantly touched his face. Sam looked at her, tears falling down his face, matching Serena's.

"We didn't get to Lilith in time," he explained through his tears. Serena nodded and stared into Dean's unseeing eyes. Her chest ached at the thought of him suffering in hell already. Bobby entered the room slowly and pulled off his hat, his eyes watering. Sam stood up slowly and turned to the older man. Serena put her head on Dean's chest and cried harder. "That bitch will pay."

"We should cremate him soon," Bobby said practically.

"No," Sam said firmly. "Not now, not ever."

"Sam…"

"No, he needs to have a body to come back to. I swear I'll find a way to get him back." Serena looked up at him hopefully. She had blood smeared on her cheek and forehead now.

"Is there a way?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"If there is, I'll find it." He swore. He looked at Dean's body for a long minute and walked out of the house. Bobby followed behind him, leaving Serena on her own. She stroked Dean's head gently as if he were sleeping, vowing she wouldn't leave his side.

"Sam, where are you going?" Bobby called out. Sam didn't stop or turn around as he headed back to the car.

"I have a contact in Florida that can help…"

"Wait a minute," Bobby said firmly. "You can't leave yet."

"Don't you get it Bobby? Every second we waste up here talking, Dean is in hell. In hell, Bobby."

"I know son," he replied. "It's grief talking. We need to stick together now, you, me and Serena. We're all each other has." Sam ran a hand through his hair, his eyes wide. He nodded slowly. Bobby guided Sam back into the house and found Serena exactly how he had left her. She had her face buried the part of his chest that wasn't ripped open, holding his hand. "Serena," he started. "Serena, we need to go."

"No, I'm not leaving."

"We all need to go," Sam said. He touched her shoulder making her flinch. She lifted her head slightly and looked at them both. "Come on." She nodded slowly and watched as he and Bobby lifted Dean's lifeless body. She didn't let go of his hand as they left the house.

* * *

An hour later the three of them left the car and made their way through a wooded area, searching for an open space. They found a small clearing after a ten minute walk. Bobby passed Sam a shovel. Serena was armed with flashlights and a gun, just in case. Sam and Bobby started digging the hole…the grave, Serena made herself think. Even after the months she had to prepare for this day, she still felt numb from shock and pain. No amount of preparation helped the knowledge she would never see Dean alive again. They made quick work of the digging and soon they were walking back to the car for Dean's body.

"I still think we should be cremating him," Bobby said as they made their way back over to Serena.

"No," Sam said firmly. Serena looked up at them and whimpered. They stopped at the mouth of the grave. Sam had tears in his eyes as he looked at his brother. He hesitated for a moment and then took the amulet he had given Dean from around his neck and put it on himself. Serena took her own necklace off and put it on Dean. Bobby looked at her.

"Just so a part of me is always with him," she said sadly. The heart necklace looked out of place on him, but she smiled at the sight of it. He had always liked it. They placed him inside the grave. "I…this isn't very…"

"I know, but we have to do it quickly," Bobby explained. "Then we need to leave Indiana." Serena nodded sadly and watched.

"I'm sorry Dean," Sam said. "I should have saved you. I should have killed Lilith." Serena put her hand on his arm. He smiled weakly down at her and put his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm gonna miss you Dean," she said quietly. "I love you, I hope you realised how much." Sam squeezed her shoulders before letting her go to fill up the grave. Bobby nodded.

"I think he did," Sam told her. He looked at Bobby expectantly.

"He knows what I would say," the older man told them. They finished filling the grave and patted it lightly with their shovels.

"It's unmarked, he should have something," Sam said. Serena nodded and hurried into the trees. She looked around and spotted to branches of a similar length and came back into the clearing.

"Do we have rope?" She asked.

"In the trunk," Sam replied. "I'll go get it." He hurried off back to the car.

"How you doing Kid?" Bobby asked when they were alone. She shrugged.

"Imagine having your heart ripped out," she told him. "Like that."

"It gets easier…my wife…" Bobby couldn't continue. Serena nodded slowly. They had all lost someone they loved to this job. They stood there quietly, both lost in their thoughts. Sam returned quickly and Serena handed over the wood. She watched as he made a makeshift cross and placed it at the head of the grave. They all bowed their heads in respect for a few minutes and then one by one they left the site.

* * *

Sam let them all into the room he had been sharing with Dean. Serena went over to the desk and picked up Dean's discarded leather jacket. She folded it over her arm and hugged it to her. Bobby and Sam sat down quietly.

"We need to talk about what will happen next," Bobby said after a while. Serena couldn't grasp the fact that the world would carry on. One glance at Sam and she saw he felt the same.

"What happens next is I kill Lilith," he swore. Serena didn't know what she would do.

"Serena, there is something I should tell you," Bobby looked at her until she met his gaze.

"Yeah?"

"Your uncle fled to Europe," he said simply.

"He didn't flee…" she sounded confused.

"When I found out you were related I did some research. He picked a fight with something that no one should ever even be able to find."

"What are you on about Bobby?" She was tired right down to her soul.

"I haven't got much information. I know nobody has seen him in at least a year…"

"But I heard from him at least a month ago?"

"That's good news," Bobby said. "I think whenever the big fight comes, we will need him. You need to bring him back."

"I need to go," Sam said suddenly. He leapt from his chair and threw his things and a few of Dean's into a bag. He walked out before either Serena or Bobby could argue.

"Should we go get him?" Serena asked, thankful for the distraction.

"He needs time," Bobby said wisely. "Come on, I'll drive us to mine. You can either stay or take your car."

"Thanks Bobby," Serena replied. She found Dean's bag and packed the things Sam had left. She went into her room and grabbed her things and met Bobby by his truck. 

**Please review? Pretty please. I'd really love to know what you guys think. Fear not, its not the end of this fic!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Sorry it's been a while. I wanted to make sure I'd thought through the next parts!**

**Chapter 25**

* * *

Life just carried on. That's what Serena realised in the first few days after Dean's death. When Bobby had driven her back to his house she had spent the next two days with him. While he buried himself in trying to reach Sam, she worked on locking up her emotions deep inside. She wouldn't be a burden for Bobby or anybody else. Oh she was still upset, but she would let it out when she was alone. On the third day she drove into the small town Bobby lived on the edges of. This is how she knew the world still turned. She sat in a diner and stared out the window at the people walking to the shops and work. The weather was gorgeous again, but the warmth of the sun was lost of her. It was in the diner that she decided that going to Europe was the next move. America felt wrong for her. But before she could go, there was one place she had to stop by.

* * *

She said goodbye to Bobby later that day, promising to keep in touch as much as she could. Her flight to Prague was booked for three days time out of Memphis International Airport. Prague was her first choice because she had heard that is was a haunted city, and where better for a hunter to move to? She left Bobby's at dusk, getting some joy from driving her Celica. It had been too long. Bobby had promised to collect her car from the airport when he was in Tennessee next. She accelerated when she hit the interstate and was glad she had chosen a time when the roads weren't as busy. The drive to West Plains, Missouri, would take just under eleven hours. It was uneventful all the way down there. She checked into a motel and got a few hours sleep before driving the short distance to her childhood home. Her family hadn't moved as far as she was aware. ___She reached her street and turned down it, pulling up _on the side of the road. Taking a deep breath, she turned the engine off. The street hadn't changed very much since she had last been there. The trees were bigger obviously, the house across from hers had had an extension to the side of their house and the one directly to the right of hers had painted their house a shade of terracotta. She stepped out of the house and marched up to the front door, reminding herself she'd faced scarier things than this. She knocked on the door and waited. A gray-haired man answered the door, smiling at her politely. He looked confused when she stood there not saying anything. His eyes went passed her to the car on the road.

"Serena," he said disbelievingly.

"Hey Dad," she replied, waving a hand awkwardly. He pulled her into a quick embrace. Serena smiled slightly. After all, she knew Terry Bates hadn't wanted to kick her out all those years ago. The look on her father's face when he let go of her shocked her. It looked like hatred. "I was passing through." The look made her feel she had to justify her presence.

"Maybe you should just go," Terry Bates said. He began to shut the door on her, but she acted quickly. She put her boot in the doorway and pushed it open. Her dad was strong, but she was stronger. She walked over the threshold and looked up at him in confusion.

"What's wrong dad?" She asked. After all, if anyone was resentful, shouldn't it be her?

"You're not taking him," he told her, taking a step towards the staircase. Serena's eyes widened. Her dad thought she was there to recruit her younger brother into hunting. Just like Nate had done to her. She tilted her head.

"Is that why you think I've come? To bring an eight year old into my world?"

"He's nine," Terry corrected out of habit.

"Until just now, I didn't even know it was a boy," Serena said, her voice was unnervingly calm. "Do you think I'm a monster? Hunting is not for nine year olds, dad." Terry visibly relaxed, but the look didn't leave his face.

"Where is he then," She added.

"At school," Terry said simply. Serena nodded. She didn't keep up with term times. She moved passed her dad into the living room and collapsed onto the arm chair. It wasn't the same as the one she had claimed in her teen years, but it would do for the visit. Terry sat down on the sofa with his hands clasped before him.

"What's his name? What's he like?" She asked.

"His name is Charlie. He's a good son, has your mom's eyes, but he got my chin." Serena smiled at her dad's description. Serena had been lucky enough to look more like her mom.

"You named him after granddad," she observed.

"Look Serena, I have to ask," her dad said after a few moments of awkward silence. "Why are you here? Why now?"

"Well mom called a few weeks ago," she shrugged. "I thought I'd be grown up and put it all behind me." A dark shadow passed over his face. "Hey, where is mom?"

"She's dead Serena," Terry stated. Serena's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Four years ago," he continued. His voice was growing steadily angrier. "There was a poltergeist a few blocks over. Gabby tried calling Nate for help; we didn't have your cell number. He told her that neither of you would help, that she could do it, after all she was raised same as he was. So she went hunting. Thing is, reflexes get worse over time, especially if you don't use them. It got her killed. Then a real hunter happened to be passing through, sorted it out in an afternoon."

"Dad…" she started. Then stopped. The thing that rang her had been the Crocotta, just as it had pretended to be John Winchester. It must have given up on her as she had no inclination to go to her mom, she didn't even know she was dead. "I didn't know, he never told me. I haven't seen him in eight years." He glared at her. She was hurt by his unspoken accusations. "Do you seriously blame me for this? You kicked me out to get rid of hunting; I stayed away because you and mom didn't want Charlie involved."

"I didn't know what to think," Terry replied, the anger had gone from his voice. "I thought you were angry at us still."

"I've never been a petty person," Serena snapped, standing up. "I'd have come if I had known. But if you think I'm such a bad person I'll leave for good this time." She walked out of the door, she knew she would have to come back and part on better terms this time. But for now, she'd had enough. She had to process her mom's death, push that into her locked box of emotion. When she walked out of the door she saw a young boy walking up the path towards her. He had the same dark brown hair as she had. It must be Charlie. She slowed her walk down a little so she could get a good look at his face. When he looked up and saw her he stopped.

"Who are you?" It was said politely. Serena smiled, he had the Bates curiosity.

"I'm Jane," she lied smoothly. If her dad didn't want Charlie to be influenced, then she wouldn't mention she was his sister. "I'm a friend of you dads."

"I've never heard of you," he replied. Serena laughed and nodded.

"We're old friends," she added. "Now, shouldn't you be in school?" Charlie frowned.

"We all got sent home," he told her. "My friend, Gemma, she got hurt." Now Serena frowned, one little girl getting hurt didn't normally shut an entire school.

"Is she okay?"

"I don't know," Charlie shook his head. "Better than Ben was."

"What happened to Ben?"

"He said someone chased him, he hit his head." Serena nodded slowly. Something seemed out of place. She smiled at him.

"What school are you at Charlie?"

"West Plains Elementary."

"You better go explain it to your dad," she told him. "Tell him I'm on it."

* * *

She drove straight from her family's home to the elementary school. She wasn't surprised that Charlie went to the same school she herself had. There was probably nothing supernatural going on, but after the bombshell her dad had just dropped on her, she wanted to be absolutely sure before she left town. The school was only a five minute drive away. There was a police car pulled up outside of the main entrance. Serena checked she had the right badge; she had had to make a new one the day before yesterday as Sam had driven off before she had removed the cards kept in the Impala. She tucked it into her pocket and grabbed an EMF reader and a small iron blade out of the trunk, slipping the blade where her gun usually rested. The main entrance opened and a man in the police uniform stepped towards her.

"I'm sorry ma'm, the school is closed," he told her. She smiled politely and nodded.

"That's why I'm here, Officer…?"

"Hume," he supplied. Serena nodded again and reached for her badge.

"I'm from the Department of Public Safety Jane Bellamy," She showed him her badge. He didn't look too closely, to which Serena was glad. It was a standard state police badge for Missouri, but it didn't mention the office. "What's going on here?"

"A young girl, Gemma Marshalls, was found crying in the gym with a cut on her upper arm. Pretty deep."

"What about last week?"

"You think they're related?" Hume asked.

"You clearly do," she countered. He nodded and led her into the reception. She glanced around the area; the walls were a different colour. They had been cream in her time, now they were a bright yellow.

"Ben Thomas was also found in the gym, but he was unconscious. He woke up a few days afterwards and said he had been chased, must've fallen over and hit his head."

"Did he say who was chasing him?"

"He hit his head," Hume stated firmly. Serena recognised the tone. It meant something didn't add up, at all. She gave him a long look. "Okay, he said it was a teacher called Mr Kaplan." Serena waited, knowing there was more. She knew Mr Kaplan, he'd taught art. He wasn't popular. "We checked the records, the only Kaplan that taught here died five years ago." He was dead? Serena's eyes widened.

"Both happened in the gym? I'm going to take a look around." Hume nodded, letting her pass. She walked the hallways towards the gym. When she knew for sure she was alone, she pulled out the EMF reader and started scanning the area. The area seemed normal to her, but when she entered the gym, the reader went wild. She turned it off quickly and stepped towards the middle of the gym. It was smaller than she remembered.

"Mr Kaplan," she called out. "I'd like a chat, you know, a heart to heart?" She hoped that ghosts had a sense of humour. Mr Kaplan had been big on heart to hearts. She turned around on the spot slowly a few times. Just as she stopped moving, her old art teacher appeared in front of her. He looked at her curiously. "Mr Kaplan, what are you doing to these kids?" She also hoped that Mr Kaplan hadn't lost the love of his own voice when he lost his life. Serena didn't even know how he had died. There were no obvious wounds on his body that she could see. Then he turned his head and Serena saw a bullet wound.

"I poured my life into this place, thirty years of my life," he ranted. "And the students here drove me to this."

"Its elementary school," Serena replied. "They're hardly teenagers."

"They're worse, you can't do anything about it. No one believes you."

"Well, I'm just gonna have to stop you," Serena said fairly. "And I have a plane to catch so…" Mr Kaplan lunged at her. Serena reacted quickly, pulling the iron blade out of her jeans and swiping at her old teacher. Her healing wound twanged slightly as she did so, but she ignored it. She ran out of the gym and hurried out of the building calling back to Hume that she had a lead to follow.

* * *

She drove straight back to the motel and searched on the internet for where Mr Kaplan had been buried. She swore when she read he had been cremated. That made things a bit more complicated. She thought over her confrontation with him, what had he said about pouring himself into the school? It said on the page that he had shot himself in his art room.

"Am I gonna have to burn down the school?" Serena said aloud to herself. She knew that whatever tied him to the world still would have to be nearby. She searched for his home address and drove round there, this time she would be a journalist. The Kaplan's lived the other side of West Plains. Before leaving, she picked up her greatest disguise, her handbag. Not something she carried around except for cases. Serena jumped out of her Celica and knocked on the door. The door opened revealing Mrs Kaplan.

"Good afternoon," Serena greeted. "Serena Howard. I'm doing a memorial piece on former teachers in West Plains, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions? Of course it will reflect Mr Kaplan in a positive light." She had fished her press card out of the back of her car before getting out of the car.

"You'll have to make it quick; I'm on my way out." She ushered Serena into the house and shut the door behind her. She led the way into the living room and continued to put her make up on in the big mirror on the far wall.

"Are you going somewhere nice?" Serena asked politely, she sat down on the sofa and pulled out a small notebook.

"Visiting a friend in the next town over," Mrs Kaplan told her. Serena made a mental note, she could take a look around later.

"I know his career ended tragically," Serena said sensitively. "But could you tell me about his first years teaching? Did he enjoy it?"

"Yes, he gave his soul to teaching," Mrs Kaplan smiled fondly. "He loved it. But then kids started being…well you know how kids are now. No respect." Serena nodded encouragingly. It worried her that she had used the same kind of phrasing.

"I saw that he got an award for it in '84," Serena said.

"Yes," Mrs Kaplan pointed out of the room. "It's in there. For outstanding teaching. The kids were rebellious that year, but his teaching soothed them according to the school board."

"May I have a look?" Serena walked in the direction Mrs Kaplan had pointed. It led her into a small study room. She pulled the EMF reader out of her pocket and scanned the room. There was a slight piquing in one corner. Serena quickly had a look and found a leather bound diary. She picked it up and slid it into her handbag. She walked back out of the room and continued asking Mrs Kaplan questions about her husbands teaching career. She didn't care for the answers, they weren't relevant.

* * *

**Let me know what you think! Pretty please!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Sorry! I've been buried in essays. I decided to rewrite/add some parts so it needed more attention than I thought. Please review. I'd really like to know what you think about the last few chapters. Maybe even what you think will happen next!**

**Chapter 26**

* * *

She got back to the motel and pulled out the journal from her handbag, not even bothering to change out of her skirt. Hopefully it held all of the answers. She had a plane to catch after all. The next hour was spent reading the entries Kaplan made before he had shot himself. Serena couldn't get over how Mr Kaplan felt about the kids. He was scared, she could tell that much, but he was vague about it. Maybe he thought someone would read it. Serena smiled wryly. Someone was reading it. Her eyes widened when she got to an entry two weeks before his death. Mr Kaplan had been threatened by an older brother of a pupil. Richard Thomas. She thought for a second. Ben Thomas had been attacked by Kaplan's spirit. A few more entries showed her that Gemma Marshall's older brother, Victor, had been involved as well. Serena was suspicious now. She logged onto the county death records. Something wasn't adding up. It didn't sound like a clear cut suicide any more. After doing that she hacked into the police files. She could have requested them from Hume, but she was in a rush now. She pulled up the files concerning Mr Kaplan's death. Her eyes widened again. Had Kaplan actually shot himself? Or did someone else pull the trigger? There. The body had been moved, there was no blood found in the gym. So he had shot himself and managed to walk to the gym before collapsing? His classroom was on the first floor at the other end of the building. She would have been very impressed if he had managed to do so with a hole in his head. She read a little further, blood was found in Kaplan's classroom. He must have been attacked in there, why had they bothered to drag his body to the gym? Serena shook her head, if she had guessed right about what had actually happened then they did it because they didn't know what else to do. She glanced at the clock on her phone. It was getting late. If she didn't act quickly, she would have to wait until morning. She didn't want to miss her flight the next day. She stared at the time and then hacked into the school's database to find out who was custodian at the time Mr Kaplan died. It took her a few minutes but she successfully found a name: Teague Kingsley. Serena swore. Kingsley had moved out of the state a few months ago. She checked the page again and saw a contact number listed. She didn't usually like to ask questions over the phone, people found it harder to believe, but it was a six hour drive to Kingsley's new address and she couldn't just turn up at four in the morning. She dialled the number and waited. Her cell number wouldn't be shown so no-one could trace it, anyway, a cell number looks unprofessional.

"Hello?"

"Mr Kingsley? This is Jane Bellamy," Serena said smoothly. "I'm from the FBI. I know this is unconventional, but it's urgent-"

"Did Mark put you up to this?"

"Sir, I can give you my superior's number if you want confirmation. I just need to ask you a couple of questions about the death of a teacher at West Plains Elementary, Missouri. Mr Kaplan?" She hoped the latter would distract him.

"That was years ago. He shot himself."

"We found new evidence, we've reopened the case. It was you that found the body, am I right? Could you tell me where you found it?"

"In the gym. I gave my statement at the time-"

"I know sir, this is just standard procedure. You found blood in his classroom?"

"I did, it was a job getting it out of his hair and the floor-" Serena's eyes widened.

"What happened to the chair?"

"I'm sorry?"

"The chair, what happened to it? Did the school throw it away?"

"Seriously?"

"Mr Kingsley, if you could just answer the question."

"I put it in the basement… I don't know if its still there."

"What about the flooring? Did you get the blood out?"

"This is a joke isn't it?" His voice had risen up a few octaves. He sounded suspicious and confused/

"Sir-"

"It was lino, it washed up."

"Thank you for your time," Serena said and ended the call. She grabbed her keys and exited the motel. The drive was a lot quicker without as many cars on the road. It was still too early to safely break into the school, it was only nine. Conveniently, there was a diner on the opposite side of the road. Serena parked up at the far end of the lot and entered the diner. She sat in a booth by the window and ordered a coffee. If she waited an hour or so and then snuck around the back… but that gave her an hour to kill. She didn't like having free time. It gave her mind the time to flash back to Dean. She shook her head of the mental images of him after the hell hounds attacked. The waitress arrived with her coffee. Serena managed a smile and paid then so she could slip out when she wanted.

The longer she waited, sipping at her coffee, the harder she was finding it to block out the images. The only thing that would block out the images was the job. If she went now she'd just have to make sure she was stealthy. She stood up abruptly and went to the bathroom. There were two women in there chatting so Serena pretended to wash her hands. They left when they realised their conversation would be overheard. Serena climbed out of the window quickly and jogged to her car, keeping to the shadows. It wasn't quite dark yet, but it would give her enough cover. She grabbed a flash-light, a gun and the standard salt and accelerant, putting them in a backpack. The road was busier now so she had to wait to cross it. She jogged across the road and ran around the perimeter of the school until she was out of sight of the road.

It was easy to pick the lock on the back door. She entered quickly and shut it behind her. The job should be over quickly. The only thing she had to worry about was Mr Kaplan, but she had dealt with spirits so many times that she was confident he wouldn't present much of a problem. Of course, she would feel happier if she had back up. She shook her head and turned on the torch. For years, she had been her only back up. Just because Dean and Sam had bailed her out on a few hunts, did not mean that she had lost her touch. The torch beam swept over the walls as she walked down the corridor. If memory served, the basement door was half way down the corridor to the right. She made her way quickly; hopefully she could burn the chair before Kaplan even knew she was there. The door was where she remembered it. She picked the lock and shone the torch beam down the stairs into the pitch black below. The beam fell on a flickering figure. Serena sighed.

"Mr Kaplan, please," she said. "Can we do this the easy way?"

"I'm not finished," Kaplan replied. Serena shrugged and pulled her gun out.

"Fine," she let off a shot, watched him disappear and walked down the stairs. She wasn't in the mood for this any more. She kept an eye out for the spirit while she searched for a blood stained chair. The basement was full of old chairs and tables. Serena assumed it would be quite far back as it was some years ago now. If it wasn't here, she had no idea what was keeping him here. Then she stopped.

"Mr Kaplan, I have a proposition," she called out. There's no way the chair was still down in the basement, it was a health hazard if anything. "What if we prove you didn't commit suicide?" Kaplan appeared in front of her.

"There is no proof, they saw to that."

"If you tell me who was involved, I can prove it. If I figured it out, I'm sure the sheriffs office can," she shrugged, knowing it wasn't quite as easy as that. "I know it was Richard Thomas and Victor Marshall. Who else?"

"Harriet Beaufort, she was there. She just watched. And her boyfriend Derek Lancaster."

"Okay," Serena nodded, memorising the names. "Now, I will make sure they get brought to justice. If, and this is a deal breaker… you promise not to do anything yourself. The school will open again tomorrow and if you hurt someone, I will personally make sure you'll be trapped here forever, unable to hurt anyone."

"You have two days," Kaplan agreed.

"Give me three," Serena countered.

"Fine." Serena nodded and walked away. She drove to her father's house and knocked on the door. The light was on in the living room which surprised her. Her dad opened the door slightly and peered out. He led her into the kitchen.

"Charlie said you were taking care of it, have you?"

"Almost," Serena replied. "It's my old teacher, Mr Kaplan. Thing is dad, I need you to finish this for me."

"No, no way," Terry replied. He visibly flinched at the suggestion. Serena sighed.

"I know, I wish I didn't have to ask, but I can't miss this flight dad. All I need you to do is take some documents to the police."

"Why?"

"If we can prove Kaplan was murdered, he will move on. I have the names and I have Kaplan's diary. I just need to forge an entry and then they will have all they need. You need to make them read it, make them reopen the case."

"They won't listen to me," Terry stated. "I'm not getting involved."

"Dad please, if you do this, I promise I'll stay away. You won't see me again. Just keep Charlie out of school for the next couple of days. Just in case." Terry nodded slowly. Serena smiled, humourlessly and pulled out Kaplan's diary. "Have you got some paper?" Terry got up and fetched a pad of paper. "Go to bed," she ordered. "I need to practice, and you look exhausted. I'll be gone before you get up."

"I'm sorry," Terry stated. "I had so many hopes for you…" Serena looked into his face. She smiled slightly.

"Don't be sorry dad, I'm actually doing something with my life. I'm saving people. How many people can say that? I was so shallow. I'm glad Nate trained me. I'm sorry as well." She kissed her dad's cheek and went back to the diary.

"Serena," Terry started. He was half out of the room now. She looked up.

"Whoever you lost…it's not your fault," he told her. She narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"So many of your expressions are like you mom's," he explained. "I can read you like a book. Whatever happened… I know you tried your best."

"Dad…you don't know what you're talking about. But thanks. Now go to bed." She didn't want to talk about it.

She spent the next hour practising Kaplan's handwriting. It was something her uncle had encouraged her to do, imitate handwriting, and it had come in handy before. She wrote in an entry about the group threatening to kill Kaplan, writing each of their names. She made it was clear as she could. There was nothing more she could do.

She left the diary and the rest of the research she had compiled on the kitchen table and left herself out of the house. She could get in a couple of hours sleep before leaving for the airport.

* * *

The plane ride was uneventful. Serena took an herbal remedy to let her have a dreamless sleep for most of the journey. She half watched one of the films available as she tried to figure out her next move. It was unlikely that she would find her uncle quickly. He could be anywhere in Europe. Once she touched down, she would try another locator spell (she had tried one in the motel room when she had woken up). Her uncle must have a hex bag or something similar to block him from being tracked by supernatural means.

The plane touched down in Prague and Serena got a taxi to a cheap hotel. The buildings they passed were old and looked like they were close to falling down. But they had a certain charm that was not lost on her. She could see why people were so sure the city was haunted. It was the stereotypical setting for horror stories and urban legends. She showered as soon as she entered her hotel room and then set up the necessary things for a locator spell. She was no witch, but she had learnt things from her Abby and her fellow hunters. It didn't work again. Serena sighed, but she was unsurprised.

"It wouldn't be half as much fun if it was easy," she said to herself. There was one more ritual she could think of, but she had never heard of it working. It required a compass, it was supposed to point you in the right direction. Serena spent the rest of the afternoon locating a compass to use. Then she returned to the motel room and used it. She muttered the words and sprinkled a hoodoo mix she had made. The arrow span around wildly. It didn't look like it would ever stop. Serena sighed again. Then it stopped. It was pointing North West.

* * *

**More will come soon!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Ahh guys I am so sorry. I will update a lot faster from now on! I've decided to focus on the main storyline, so i'll either show you what happened to Serena in Europe through flashbacks or a substory. Let me know what you think of that, and what you're prefer!**

**Chapter 27  
**

* * *

After two and a half months of searching through Europe, Serena had found a solid lead. This time had taught her a lot about hunting this side of the world. The supernatural things were different and more varied. Serena decided it was because this was their home ground. It was where the myths had sprung up, so it was where the beasties had actually lived way back when. Her journey had taken her through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and she was currently in France. That was the route she had wanted to take. Her route hadn't been that straight forward, in Germany she had been forced to follow a werewolf southwards into Austria and then to Italy. From Italy she had chosen to go through France and up to Belgium and the Netherlands. It was in the Netherlands that she worked out the easiest way to get to England was a ferry from France so she drove back the way she had driven.

It had been difficult to find a hunter in England, but after a lot of hassle Serena had what she needed to know. A hunter based out of Yorkshire had responded to her coded advert in a national paper. She had laughed slightly as she had produced the advert, it felt more like she was playing spy rather than looking for fellow hunters. Tony had phoned the number provided and after both he and Serena were satisfied that they were both hunters, Tony had informed her that a man like the one she had outlined was in London. "Notoriously good hunter, the bloody best I've heard of," were his exact words. Serena knew it was him then. Now all she needed to do was get across the Channel.

* * *

It was in London that Tony said she would find this hunter. So it was to London that she drove after her ferry ride. The ferry ride itself that made her nervous, she felt very isolated. But it had only lasted a short period of time. She did all the necessary things when she got to London: found a travel lodge, sold the rental car to some back alley chop shop, and familiarised herself with the underground tube system. You just didn't know when that kind of knowledge would be essential. She converted her money into the pound sterling and, after a short sleep in the travel lodge; she rang her uncle's cell phone. She knew he would have to answer her this time. She demanded he meet her, she told him she was in London and she wouldn't leave 'til she had told him some important information. While she waited for him to reply in some form or other, she wandered out of the travel lodge and explored the area immediately around it. There was a road named High Street with loads of little shops. Serena had seen the same kind of thing throughout Europe; it was completely different to the States. She looked into all of the shops and browsed with half an eye. This was how she wasted that afternoon. When she picked up some food from a Chinese take away and headed back to her room it was dark.

* * *

A man pushing forty sat on the edge on a park bench. He kept up the pretence of reading the Sunday Telegraph, but actually had his eyes peeled for the person he was waiting for. The park was full of families enjoying the autumn sunshine. He didn't allow himself the luxury of feeling envious, what good would that do? He was dressed in worn jeans, a cream t-shirt and a light jacket, despite the heat.

"There you are," a voice behind him said. He wasn't used to being surprised; it was rare he let that happen.

"Serena," he greeted evenly as she sat next to him. "You're late."

"Signal failure," she defended herself. "Train was delayed like fifteen minutes."

"You get used to it," he replied. "How did you know I was in London?"

"I have sources," she said lightly, enjoying knowing more than Nate. "But now that I have, we need to talk."

"I have nothing to say."

"It's been eight years and you have nothing to say to me?"

"That's right," Nate Harding agreed. He stood up to meet her glare full on. She slapped him.

"How about 'sorry'? You knew my mother was dead, and you didn't think to tell me?" He rubbed his jaw but said nothing. Serena continued. "Not only that but you left an 18 year old girl tohunt demons and god knows what else and you have nothing to say to her?" He didn't reply. "Well that's fine, I have plenty to say. I can see you're happy I'm alive. Anyway, I heard a rumour from a friend of mine about you."

"You came to find me on the strength of a rumour?"

"Isn't that what hunting is all about? Rumours and whispers?" Again he didn't respond. "You know, I could never understand why you left so suddenly. Nobody could. Now I see why," she paused. "You're a coward." Nate spun round to face her.

"How dare you," he snapped.

"Well, why else would you flee to Europe," she accused, emphasising the word flee. She held up her hand when he started to speak. "I'm not here to blame you. We've all gotten involved with things that are too big for us. The thing is, we need you to come back to America."

"We?" She sat down on the bench and indicated for him to do the same.

"It's a long story, but I'm sure you know we're at war."

"Of course."

"Well the front line is America, and you've got a starring role," she explained. She wished she could be more precise, but in truth she knew very little.

"I'm not going back," he stated.

"You have to, or it all gets the fire and brimstone makeover," she didn't mind this so much, it would mean she was closer to Dean, but she didn't want the world to go there too. "We can't lose this battle Uncle." Nate stood up without a word and walked away. Serena recognised the behaviour and knew he would be in touch soon.

She spent the rest of the day walking around London in a daze. Now she had found her uncle, she had more time to let her thoughts drift. There was a hole in her chest that she knew would never leave her. She could vaguely remember what it felt like to be whole, like a dream you can't quite remember, but you can sense it. She wrapped her arms across her chest but that was the closest she allowed herself to get to letting it out. If her uncle decided to go to America, it meant that she had to as well. She had quite liked being somewhere that offered no reminders.

It grew colder as she continued to walk. That was the first thing she noticed. She pulled out her phone and looked at the time. It had been hours since she left the park. She shook her head to clear the haze and began dialling. She was glad that it went straight to voicemail.

"Hey Bobby, I know it's been a while and I'm sorry if I worried you. I'm alright, well I'm alive. I found Nate today. We're in London. Anyway, I'll be coming back to America if I can persuade him. Knowing him, it could be a couple of months." She hung up and took a good look at her surroundings. Nothing looked familiar; she muttered a curse under her breath and noticed the sign for the underground. It took her a few minutes to figure out how to get to her stop. She collapsed on her bed as soon as she got to the hotel and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

On the other side of the Atlantic, Bobby Singer rushed into his kitchen at the sound of his phone. He didn't reach it time and saw that the person was leaving a voicemail. He waited patiently and listened to it as soon as he could. He sighed in relief as he heard it was Serena. It had been months since he had been able to contact her. She sounded harder than the last time they spoke, this made him frown. A beep in his ear told him that someone was calling him. He answered without looking, thinking it was Serena calling back.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Bobby," a voice said on the other end of the line.

"Yeah," he said again.

"It's me," the voice sounded familiar. He hated it when people answered like that, it could be anyone.

"Who's me?"

"Dean," Bobby hung up quickly. Dean was in hell, there was no way you could ever get out of hell. His phone rang again and he answered.

"Who is this?"

"Bobby, listen to me-"

"This ain't fun," he snapped. "Call again and I'll kill ya." He hung up again and waited a minute for them to ring back. He was relieved when they didn't. That had been Dean's voice; there was no doubt in his mind. He tried to put the call out of his mind and carried on cleaning out his shotgun.

An hour later somebody banged on his door, he quickly answered it as he was sat just inside of it. He wasn't expecting anybody, but he never was. They always just dropped round. It was Dean. Bobby stood there motionless, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. Dean smiled at him.

"Surprise," he said, Bobby took a step back.

"I don't…" Bobby started.

"Yeah, me neither, but here I am," Dean stated, walking over the threshold. Bobby took the opportunity to swing at Dean. He had a silver knife in his hand that he had picked up off of the table by his hand. Dean managed to block the blow.

"Bobby. Bobby it's me," he said urgently.

"My ass." He lunged at him again.

"Woah, woah wait, your name is Robert Stevenson you became a hunter after your wife got possessed. You're about the closest thing I have to a father. Bobby it's me."

Bobby walked closer and held out his hand to see if he was real. He tricked Dean and swung at him again. Dean countered it and put him in a headlock.

"I'm not a shape shifter," he said.

"Then you're a revenant." He got out of Dean's grip.

"Ok If I was either, could I do this with a silver knife?" he hesitated and then cut his arm just above the inside of his elbow. Bobby's eyes widened.

"Dean…?" he asked as the older Winchester walked towards him.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you." He embraced him enthusiastically.

"S'good to see you boy," he said softly after pulling back.

"Yeah you too." Putting a hand on his shoulder.

"But how did you bust out?" Bobby asked, it just didn't make sense.

"I don't know," Dean said honestly, he turned slightly to put the knife on a table. He faced Bobby again. "I just woke up in a pine bo-" he stopped as Bobby threw holy water into his face. He closed his eyes for a moment before blinking a few times and spitting out the water that had gone in his mouth. "I'm not a demon either you know."

"Sorry," Bobby replied, half shrugging. "Can't be too careful."

* * *

"Don't get me wrong, I am gladdened that Sam's soul is intact but it does raise a sticky question," Bobby said, looking between Sam and Dean. They were in Sam's motel room. It had taken a while but Sam believed it was really Dean.

"Where's Serena?" Dean asked them quickly. Bobby looked down.

"I don't know," he replied honestly.

"What do you mean you don't know? You didn't keep an eye on her? Jesus Bobby, you lost Sam and Serena?"

"What am I? A goddamn babysitter? They're both adults." Dean glared at the older man, but let out a breath and nodded.

"You don't think-" Sam started.

"That's exactly what I think; she tried it before didn't she?"

"She's in London," Bobby announced. Dean stared at him expectantly. "As in England."

"What the hell is she doing there?"

"Finding her uncle," he replied.

"Fine, I'll call her," Dean stated, he held his hand out for Sam's cell as he hadn't had time yet to get one of his own.

"Uh, I think I better…" Sam started, keeping his phone in his hand. He dialled her number and waited. There was no answer. A few minutes passed, Sam hit redial. Dean stood close beside him looking at him expectantly.

"She's not answering," he informed them both.

"No surprise there, she ain't answered my calls in three months!"

"What about her uncle? Nate isn't it?" Dean asked. Sam raised an eyebrow at Bobby.

"I haven't tried that," he admitted. "Nate's been on the run for just under a decade, he won't be listed in the damn phone book."

"Bobby, you have to try."

* * *

"Nate Harding?"

"He's not here right now, can I take a message?" Bobby rolled his eyes. That response told him it was.

"Is Serena with you?"

"Who is this?"

"A friend. Bobby Singer. I know she found you, I just need…"

"What do you want?"

"Has Serena been to a crossroads in the last week?"

"Has she made a deal with a demon do you mean?"

"Yeah, it is." The phone went dead.

"Well?" Dean asked quickly when he saw Bobby was off of the phone.

"The son of a bitch hung up on me." Dean blew a breath out of his mouth___.

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___Please review :)  
_


	28. Chapter 28

**Again, I am sorry for the delay! Thank you to those who reviewed :)**

**Chapter 28**

* * *

A week later, Serena was waiting outside her uncle's hotel room door. In some ways it felt like the last eight years had fallen away and she was still the teenager that was being ordered around and needed guidance. In others she felt that she had aged in the last four months more than she had in the last four years. She had never been naïve or overly trusting, her uncle had made sure she had been raised properly for hunting, but now her old self felt very young. Now that part of her was broken. Her uncle opened the door and came outside, with bags on both his shoulders. Serena stepped backwards to accommodate him.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Something's happening. A friend of mine, James Samson, left me a voice message. We need to go to his now."

"Alright. I'm guessing he's a hunter as well?" She asked, falling into step beside him. They hurried out of the hotel and into Nate's car.

"Yes. Did you bring your things?" She patted her bags.

"I learnt to travel light," she took off Dean's leather jacket and chucked her bags in the back seat.

"That's not your jacket is it?" Nate noticed. She cradled it to her chest.

"It is now," she said simply. He nodded. They drove in relative silence to where James Samson lived. Serena was curious as to what would scare a hunter, but then she remembered her own past and her uncle's. It would take some serious demon to do so. She started to steel herself for whatever would happen.

"Here we are," her uncle told her, pulling up outside a house. By now she had become accustomed to the English road layouts and house shapes, but the difference between here and in her own country was still noticeable. "Bring a gun." She obeyed and pulled her gun out of the flap in her bag. She put the jacket on over her strappy top and jeans and hurried after him. He strolled the distance between the car and the door. Serena could tell he was genuinely worried. He rang the doorbell and waited a few minutes. When nobody came to the door he glanced at Serena and took out his lock pickers. Serena turned her back to him to keep guard. The door clicked and Serena turned back around and followed her uncle in.

"There's salt," she commented as she crossed the threshold, raising her gun on instinct. Her uncle had his in a similar fashion. She glanced around. "There's more by the window."

"And in the doorway to the kitchen," her uncle called back to her. She walked through a door to her left, over another line of salt. This guy was paranoid, she thought. The room was set out in an 'L' shape; she walked around the corner and stopped short. In front of her was a smudged line of blood.

"Hey," she shouted to her uncle. "I think I've found him." She heard Nate's heavy footsteps before he walked into the room. He followed her eye line and saw the blood. They both raised their guns for a second time and followed the trail. "Can you smell that?" Nate nodded as a familiar smell assaulted their noses. They walked through into a small utility room.

"Son of a-" Nate said as they saw the mangled body of James Samson on the floor in a ring of salt. Serena walked closer and knelt down next to the body.

"There's no way he survived this," she commented.

"What the hell got through a salt circle?" Nate asked aloud. Serena stood up and put her hand on his shoulder.

"A regular old human," Serena suggested. They both looked at the open rib cage and shredded, bloodied remains. It didn't look like something that a human would do, even the crazies.

"There must be some clue around here," Nate said. He looked around the room quickly and headed out of the door he had walked through. Serena followed close behind him. They walked upstairs and into what seemed to be an office; it had a whole wall devoted to books on wooden shelves.

"Dean is alive, Serena," a masculine voice that was not her uncle told her. Serena had been trying to get to sleep on the uncomfortable floor of James Samson's house. She must have fallen asleep, why else was someone telling her this?

It was the same day as they had arrived at the Samson house. They had given James Samson a proper hunter's funeral, cremating him in an empty field a few miles away. Nate had decided that it would be a good place to set up shop as it had all the supplies they needed. The voice had pierced the gloom of the room. She opened her eyes and saw the man looking out of the window. Perhaps this wasn't a dream then. The man was dressed in a long pale trench coat and, as he turned slightly, she saw he had a white shirt and dark tie on. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"What?" she asked. "Who are you?"

"Dean Winchester is alive," he repeated. Serena blinked a few times. Maybe she had fallen asleep. "I am Castiel, an angel of the Lord. I raised him from perdition myself."

"That's impossible," she replied slowly. Her heart was beating at an uneven pace. She must have fallen asleep; there was no way this could actually be happened. Dean was in hell…forever. "Angels aren't real." Castiel turned and met her gaze levelly. Then the room was filled with a bright light which seemed to come from everywhere at once. Serena looked around the room in shock, and when her eyes went to Castiel again she saw two dark patches either side of him...they looked like wings.

"The Lord's power is immeasurable," he stated. Serena didn't move an inch; she thought that if she moved then the dream would end. "I tell you this because you cannot go to him."

"Why not?" She demanded, her heart stopped, she had been planning her journey back as soon as he had spoken the words.

"You have a job to do and you must complete it," Castiel reminded her. "Dean has a role as well and you must not distract him from it."

"You can't just tell me he's alive and then say 'hey wait, you are forbidden from seeing him'. Do you know what it feels like to see the man you love's body looking like it'd been through a cheese grater? I have to see him."

"I have ways of stopping you Serena," the angel said.

"I don't care," she snapped. "I have to see him. Nothing will get in the way of that."

"No, you have to get your uncle to follow you to America. I will tell you when you can go to Dean."

"Serena, wake up," a different voice spoke; it sounded distant to her ears. Serena opened her eyes and sat up. It was a dream then. She looked up at her uncle expectantly. "I called my cousin, Carl Bates. He's not answering."

"He's probably on a job," Serena said reasonably, still shaking off the dream. Unlike her usual ones, she could remember it clearly.

"No, he always answers his phone," Nate stated. He looked as close to worried as Serena had ever seen him. She bit down a comment about how Nate had kept in touch with someone, but not her.

"So what, you think this is something bigger?" Nate nodded and ran a hand over his face. "I'll ring around." Serena said and grabbed her cell off of the floor next to her. She stood up as she dialled Abby, a fellow hunter she had stayed with before. Nate nodded again and left the room. "Abby? Hey it's Serena. I know it's been a while. Yeah I'm in England. Look, I need to ask something. Have you heard of any hunters dying over the last two days? Not run of the mill ones no. These are pretty specific...and pretty gruesome." She paused and listened to Abby's response. "Thanks Abby." She hung up, promising to call her again soon, and walked into the kitchen to find her uncle.

"Anything?"

"Abby's gonna ask around, she heard a rumour about one hunter dying bloody, Jordan Mason. Died alone in a motel room. Same way your friend did."

"What the hell is happening?" Nate asked aloud.

* * *

Across the other side of the Atlantic, Dean and Sam had been driving to another hunter's house on Bobby's orders. "That's it," Dean announced, pulling the Impala off of the road. He picked his old cell out of the glove compartment – Sam had kept it in the Impala along with John's old phones – and dialled Serena. Sam looked at him warily but nodded, maybe she would answer if she saw it was Dean. The older Winchester pressed dial and put the phone to his ear. He waited a few moments.

"Who is this?"

"It's me Rena," Dean said quickly. "Look I-" He frowned and looked over at Sam. "She hung up."

"Try again," Sam suggested. Dean nodded and ran a hand through his hair before putting the phone to his ear again. He was getting fed up of people hanging up on him as soon as he spoke.

"Whoever this is, I'm gonna end you," Serena growled down the phone. "This is low even for you skanky bitches."

"Serena, it's really me," Dean said earnestly. He waited for a response, when she didn't say anything he sighed. "I'm alive. You can ask Sam if you want." He held the phone out to his brother.

"Serena? Yeah he's back. We think it was an angel…Castiel." Sam held the phone out to Dean, who grabbed it.

"Dean?" Her tone had changed dramatically. She sounded hopeful, almost like a little girl.

"Yeah, it's me." Dean breathed out slowly, he had missed her voice more than he realised.

"When Castiel said…I didn't believe him. It was just a dream…"

"Wait," he ordered. "You know Castiel?"

"Yup," she replied. "Dean, what happened?"

"I got a one way ticket out of the pit," he told her.

"Castiel said I couldn't…I'm not allowed…I can't come back yet."

"Why the hell not?"

"I have 'other responsibilities far greater' apparently," she sighed. "It's so good to hear your voice."

"Look, if you can't come here, I'll come to you-"

"You can't Dean," she said sadly. "Castiel said you have your own task. I'll just make sure I get there as soon as I can. I guess this is goodbye again."

"No," he stated. "Don't say that line. It won't be long. I wanted to give you a heads up. Something's killing hunters. We came up against them, its dead people, victims. Agent Henrikson says hello."

"I knew something big was happening! A friend of Nate's got torn apart pretty badly. Have you heard anything about a Carl Bates?" Dean pulled a face.

"I'm sorry Rena, Bobby said he's dead."

"Crap," she murmured.

"I'll call if I get any details. Watch out."

"You too."

* * *

Serena informed her uncle about what Dean had told her. Nate had demanded a brief background on the Winchesters and when he was satisfied, he immediately pulled out all of Samson's books, including various religious texts. He piled them up high and glanced at Serena. She nodded and took the top one. They sat in silence for a while, turning pages and swapping books when necessary. Nate stopped suddenly looked up at her.

"Get down," he ordered. Serena instantly leapt from her chair and rolled away from it. She caught a glimpse of a flickering figure directly behind where she had been sitting. She swore under her breath. "Someone you know?"

"I did, so did you," Serena breathed. "Mitch Tyrone, one of the last jobs we did together."

"You don't even remember me, do you?" Mitch growled. Serena took a good look at him whilst he glared at Nate. His face was bruised and almost unrecognisable. In fact Serena had only known it was him by the tattoo on his neck. His body was a mess with claw marks. "You promised you would save me, and my girl, she died screaming in front of me. I couldn't move, I was bleeding too much. Where were you? Drinking alone in a bar? And you," he turned to Serena. "Were you cowering in a motel room?" Serena looked at the floor. Guilt was running through her like a flood. She recalled it perfectly. It had been an Acheri demon.

"You didn't tell me they talked so much," Nate said, ignoring Mitch. Serena shrugged and stood up. "Thing is, now I know what we're dealing with. I thought it was just Biblical crap. Rising of the Witnesses. Look at his hand, there's the symbol."

"And there was me thinking you got a new tat," Serena joked. "What do we do? He got passed all the salt." Luckily for Serena, the Winchesters and Bobby were dealing with the Witnesses on the other side of the Atlantic.

"Shoot and run," Nate suggested. She did what he said, knowing he would be right behind her. She didn't move fast enough as Mitch appeared in her path. She tried to jump aside, but he caught her around the throat and threw her into the bookcase. She fell hard, briefly remembering a similar scenario with her uncle. She got up as quickly as she could. Her uncle was outside of the room, waiting for her. Mitch hovered next to her, he struck her across the jaw. Nate ran back into the room, helped her up and half carried her out of there. They jumped into Nate's car and kept driving, reasoning that if they were moving, it would be harder to for the Witnesses to find them. "We gotta hope your friends know what they're doing." Serena nodded and dialled Bobby's number. Nobody answered. "How's your head?"

"I'll live," she replied. Nobody did answer for over an hour and a half. Serena gave it one last try, Bobby answered just as she was about to hang up.

"Hello?" he barked.

"Bobby, its Serena," she announced.

"Good to hear your voice kid," he said.

"Likewise. What happened with the witnesses? Are we safe?"

"We found a spell, just finished it. Did they come after you?"

"Yeah, and he was pissed. We just got out of there, have been driving ever since. Are you okay? Is Dean? Sam?"

"We'll live, Dean got sliced open, but it's not deep."

"Thank God," she replied.

"We need a chat about that," Bobby replied ominously.

* * *

**Please review!**


	29. Chapter 29

**So after a year, I'm back again. I apologise for taking so long! My friend motivated me to upload the rest of what I've got. I'll try and upload as much as possible as quickly as I can!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"We need to talk about what?" Serena asked confused. Her mind swept over what had come out of her mouth. 'Thank God' was what she had said. Why would they need to talk about that? Then the penny dropped. Castiel had told her he was an angel. And she knew that there were demons.

"There's no easy way to say this, hell I don't know how much of it I believe..." Serena glanced at her uncle.

"Hang on Bobby; I'm putting you on loudspeaker. There's no way Nate would believe me otherwise," She pressed the button and ignored Nate's enquiring gaze. "What are you getting at?"

"Well, we had a look into Dean's resurrection and word is only heaven has the power to grab a soul from downstairs."

"And with Castiel's appearance..."

"Exactly," Bobby agreed. "Thing is, the Raising of the Witnesses was a seal."

"What do you mean a seal?" Nate asked briskly.

"Dean got a visit from Castiel. Apparently Lilith is trying to open a cage and to do that she has to break a number of seals."

"Bobby, just get to the point," Serena replied. Nate pulled up into a supermarket parking lot.

"There are around 600 seals, Lilith only has to break 66 of them."

"And the cage is unlocked," Serena finished for him.

"Question is: what's in the cage?" Nate added.

"Lucifer."

"Excuse me?" Serena said in shock. "When you say Lucifer..."

"Bingo. The Devil, Satan whatever you want to call him." Serena looked out of the window, trying to process what Bobby was telling them. Nate ran a hand over his face, but the gesture was not one of shock. Serena looked at him squarely. He looked as if he had been waiting for this news. She opened her mouth to demand a reason for it, when the street lights around their car started to flicker. She met her uncle's eyes then and they both grabbed their guns.

"Bobby, gonna have to call you back," Serena announced. She ended the call and shoved her cell in her pocket. In unison, she and Nate stepped out of the car and peered into the darkness. Serena moved to the back of the car and walked to the very edge of the ring of light. Nate was at the opposite end doing the same. A voice sounded between them.

"I've been waiting for you to stop." They both spun to face it, ready to shoot. Serena lowered her gun instantly.

"Castiel?" she asked, surprised. She tucked her gun in the back of her jeans. "Did I fall asleep?"

"This is the angel?" Nate added, he lowered his weapon slightly. "Doesn't look very... angelic."

"No, you are very much awake," Castiel stated. "Now you have survived the Witnesses, I can tell you more."

"We know about the Seals and about Lucifer," Nate replied. He sounded tired. It reminded her of his expression in the car. Castiel frowned.

"Bobby called us," Serena explained.

"I see. Then you are ready for your task." The angel stared at them both hard.

"Task? I never agreed to being an errand boy for heaven," Nate snapped. Serena wanted to say the same, but from Castiel's last chat, she knew it was the quickest route to Dean. She settled for glaring at him.

"There are other seals that need to be stopped. We can't cope with covering all of them."

"If you can't handle them, what makes you think we can?" Nate asked pragmatically.

"You are charged with protecting the lesser seals. They are the hardest for Lilith to break, but the easiest for heaven to hold." Serena remained silent. It was a big task, and if she took a step back from her own desires, she could see that it was more important than them.

"We have agents in other places around the world. The task for you is this place. These islands."

"You mean the whole of the United Kingdom?" Serena clarified.

"I do. You will need to search for the seals yourself; we can't spare an informant for you. There will be times when we can, but do not count on it."

"What if we decide to stop helping?" Nate asked.

"There are ways of forcing you," Castiel stated. Serena looked away sadly, when her eyes returned back to Castiel, he wasn't there anymore.

"That explains why they sent you to find me," Nate said slowly. Serena looked at him and frowned.

"Did I miss something?" She asked. She knew why she had to do what Castiel said, but her presence wouldn't force Nate to do anything. He could easily leave it to her.

"I'm not abandoning you twice," Nate stated. "I'm not that heartless. Family comes first. I should have stuck to that back then." Serena stared at him. That's not something she thought would ever come out of his mouth.

* * *

The next day Serena found herself in a hotel in Manchester. They had been closer to that city than they had to London, so Nate had decided to set up there for a while. Serena was still in bed, waiting for time to pass a bit more so she could phone Dean. Knowing her luck, she'd call during the few hours he had decided to crash. She rolled her eyes, and dialled his number anyway. It didn't have to be a long call. Now she knew what she was supposed to do, she actually had something to focus on and accomplish. She waited patiently as it rang.

"Serena," Dean's voice answered in a hushed tone.

"Cas visited again," Serena told him. Then she noticed his tone. "Are you in middle of something?"

"Uh, yeah I am. Can I call you back? It's stealth time."

"Sure, be safe." She hung up at the same time as he did and fell back down on the pillows. But she became restless and went to shower in the en suite bathroom. She had no idea what the next couple of weeks or months would be like. She lost herself in thinking about what could happen. Then it hit her, it could take years to stop Lilith from opening Lucifer's cage. She could try to open every one of the 600 seals to free him. To stop all of them could take decades. The rest of Serena's life, depending on how long or short her time was.

"Good. You understand the severity of the situation now." Serena stifled a scream and peered around the shower curtain.

"Castiel? It is NOT alright for you to be in here. You can't just appear when someone's in the shower." Castiel looked back at her with such a confused expression, her annoyance subsided slightly. She turned the shower off. "Turn around." Castiel stood still for a long second and then did as he was told. Serena grabbed the towel hanging next to the shower and quickly wrapped it around herself. She grabbed a second one and wrapped it around her hair. "Fine. Now why are you here?"

"You now understand your duty," Castiel said. "I thought it would take longer. Human's are distracted easily."

"Did you read my mind or something? Anyway, what does it matter, I was still gonna do it."

"Understanding something helps you stay alive longer," Castiel replied. Serena unlocked the bathroom door and stepped through it. The bathroom felt claustrophobic. Her eyes found his again.

"Hang on, I thought you weren't gonna be in a position to keep appearing and giving us advice. Yet here you are."

"I was monitoring your thoughts. In these early stages I can come to you. My time is split between preparing Dean and this line of defence."

"You've seen Dean? I just tried to- hang on preparing him for what?" Castiel ignored the last part.

"I know. He is dealing with Sam Winchester."

"Sam...why?"

"Sam has started down a path that we cannot allow him to continue down."

"Stop talking in riddles. What is Sam doing?"

"The demon Ruby has been teaching him how to use his psychic powers to exorcise demons."

"But Sam doesn't have any powers. And Ruby died when Dean did."

"No she did not," Castiel informed her. "Dean never mentioned Sam's power to you, because he believed that when Azazel was killed, Sam lost them." Serena took a moment to digest that information. Dean had briefly told her about the kids with special powers but hadn't included his brother.

"Wait, so when Dean said he has stealth-ing...he was actually searching for Sam. And Ruby. I knew she wasn't as good as Sam made out. Embracing demon powers. God." She glanced at Castiel and cringed. "Sorry...I'll stop saying that." She wanted to go to them and make it easier to deal with. She could see exactly how Dean would react to it and she could imagine Sam's responses. They needed a mediator. And not a demonic one.

Her earlier positive mood had plummeted.

* * *

**Again - SORRY. Let me know what you think!**


	30. Chapter 30

**See, another update already!  
**

**This chapter is set around episode 6... The last 'section' should line up just before "I know what you did last summer" (ep 9).**

* * *

"Serena," Dean called out in his sleep. Sam looked over at his brother from the other side of the room. He was used to his brother doing this now. It had been over two months since Bobby had showed up at Sam's door with Dean. Sam was so glad to have his brother back. Although they had had fights, both verbal and physical, since Dean had come back, Sam couldn't hate his brother. He had suffered without him.

Dean called out again and Sam frowned. It was only when his brother was asleep that Sam saw just how much he missed Serena. He had stopped bringing her up weeks ago. During the day Dean joked around, flirted with girls and generally acted like his old self (especially with Jamie when they went to Oktoberfest). It was in the night that Sam could see just how deeply Dean was hurt. He wondered how long it would be until Serena came back to America.

* * *

The day after Castiel had viisted her, Serena was leaning over the table in the apartment she and her uncle were renting. It wasn't big, but it was better than the hotels they had been staying in. They had decided to stay in Northampton as it was in the middle of the country. It meant that they could drive across country and back again easily.

"Nate," Serena called. "Look at this. It sounds Biblical; you don't think it's a seal do you?" Nate came into the room and looked over her shoulder at the newspaper on the table.

"Hobo wins the lottery?" He read aloud.

"No not that one," Serena said rolling her eyes. She pointed to the article she meant. Part of her daily routine was to check the newspapers for anything that could possibly be a seal. She picked up the local and national papers in the mornings and searched online for other stories.

"Son returns after three years and stabs his parents and brother to death?" She nodded.

"Knife was a family heirloom apparently. The article says that the family hadn't heard from the son since he blew most of their money gambling."

"A twisted prodigal son?"

"Sounds like it could be," Serena said.

"The prodigal son isn't in Revelations. It's the New Testament."

"It's a stretch but it's worth a look I think." Serena countered.

"Where was it?"

"Cambridge," she informed him. Nate nodded.

"Not far from here," he replied. "Let's go." They grabbed their things and went outside to Nate's car.

The drive only took about 30 minutes. It took another 10 to locate the house in question. The door was cordoned off by police tape. They pulled into the driveway and Nate turned the engine off. Serena pulled out their police badges just in case someone noticed them. They walked up to the front door and ducked under the tape.

"What are we even looking for?" Serena asked as they walked into the living room. It was a nice house, cosy.

"No idea," Nate replied honestly. "If it's already been in the papers, the seal may already been broken. If it even is one."

"I wish Castiel had given us a hint. How the hell are we supposed to work it out?" Serena walked out of the living room and into the kitchen while her uncle walked up the stairs. Usually Serena would know which room the deaths had been in, but they hadn't checked the police reports yet. There hadn't been any outlines in the living room and she couldn't see any in the kitchen. She moved on to the dining room and saw tape outlines on the chairs around the dining table.

"In here, Nate," she shouted. She took out the EMF reader from her coat pocket and flicked it on. Nate was in the room with her instantly. His eyes went over the chairs and then to her EMF reader. It was going crazy.

"So something supernatural did happen here," Nate summarised.

"But was it the average case or is this a seal?"

"God knows." Serena found that amusing. It was probably accurate.

"I miss the good old days," she said after a few minutes. "Give me Casper any day." Nate smirked slightly. They checked the rest of the house and went back to the car, deciding there was nothing more they could do at that moment.

When they got back to the apartment, Serena used her uncle's laptop to hack into the police database. She pulled the file on the murders and read through it. They had the statement from the son, Craig Jones, admitting to everything. Her frown grew deeper as she read on. Craig described exactly how the event took place. How he had decided to make amends with his family, but when he went home and apologised he was annoyed at how soon they forgave him. He had wanted to work for their forgiveness. And he snapped, stabbing his older brother first, then his mother and father.

"People," she said in a disgusted tone. "They're the real monsters."

Nate looked up at her as she spoke and nodded his agreement. She moved the laptop round so he could read what she just had. They were at a loose end as the case was over.

"I'd suggest possession but he remembers it."

"Unless he's still possessed."

"One way to find out." Nate went into his bedroom and came back out a few minutes later in a suit. Serena realised what he planned and went to change, remembering her handbag. They drove to the police station in the town centre and parked up. She found it had been harder to pretend to be officials in the UK; they didn't have nearly as many agencies. The fake badges Nate and Serena had said that they were detectives, but it wouldn't be nearly as easy as the police here didn't seem to like others on their patches. They walked into the building and up to the desk. Nate flashed his badge at the officer behind the desk.

"We'd like to talk to one of the guys you have locked up here," he announced in a British accent. "Craig Jones." The officer looked at them suspiciously and took Nate's badge and looked up at Serena as if asking for hers. She handed it over and he looked at both badges closely and nodded. Serena had almost perfected her British accent since being with her uncle. The officials seemed to treat her better when she used that accent instead of her normal one.

"Wait over there," he told them. They went over to the seats he had indicated towards and sat down. Serena watched as the officer picked up the phone and called someone. She assumed it was the detective in charge of this case.

They didn't have to wait long. A fat, balding man came over to them after about five minutes and greeted them.

"I'm Detective Fields," he told them. "Can I see your badges?" They obliged and the detective studied them. "Detectives Travors and Jenkins. Why do you want to speak to him? This is my case."

"We've reopened a case from four years ago on our patch," Serena lied. "We suspect Craig was involved. We just want to ask a few questions and then we'll be out of your hair.

"I can give you five minutes," Fields announced. "Any longer and you'll have to follow the official channels."

"Thank you," Nate replied in a grateful tone. "We owe you." Fields led the way out of the reception area and down a corridor. They walked in silence until they arrived at the holding cells.

"In here alright?" Fields asked them.

"Sure," Serena said, pulling out her Dictaphone. Fields nodded and unlocked Jones's cell. Once Serena and Nate were inside, he relocked it. Craig was sitting on the bed, looking at them suspiciously.

"Who are you?" he asked, standing up.

"I'm Detective Travors," Serena replied. "This is my partner Detective Jenkins. We'd just like to ask you a couple of questions." She pulled a bottle of water out of her bag and took a sip while Nate stepped forward.

"Why did you kill your family Craig?" He asked. Serena saw Craig looking at her bottle. Good.

"I've already told Fields."

"Why don't you tell us," Nate said conversationally.

"You look thirsty Craig," Serena commented. She held out her water to him. "Aren't they even giving you water? Have some of mine." Craig narrowed his eyes at her but took the bottle. Serena knew he would, after all, she had sipped from it in front of him. Nothing happened. He wasn't possessed then. She had put some holy water into the bottle while Nate was driving. She was stumped.

* * *

An hour later and they were back at the apartment. Neither could figure out this case, which made them think that it had been a seal. Which meant they had failed to prevent it from being broken.

"Serena," a voice said. It wasn't her uncle. She looked up from the plate in front of her. Castiel was standing in the doorway. Nate came in from the kitchen when he heard.

"So it was a seal," Nate stated.

"It was," Castiel agreed. "You failed." Serena's temper flared.

"I have had it up to here with you angels already!" she snapped. "You expect us to predict when a seal is in danger? You haven't even told us how to recognise one!" Castiel didn't react to her outburst but turned his gaze to Nate.

"Next time you must succeed."

"Serena's right, we need more to go on." But Castiel had disappeared.

* * *

After four more months, Serena was sick of the UK. The weather was horrible, the task was impossible and she really wanted to get back to America. They hadn't managed to stop even one seal from being broken. The angels were giving them no heads up so they had no way of predicting when a seal was in danger. They had noticed at least 5 possible seal stories in the news since the one in Cambridge.

Nate was currently out 'finding' them some more money as they were running low. Serena had decided to take a bath since she felt so miserable.

"Dean needs you," Castiel told her simply; there was a sad twinge to what he was saying. A ribbon on annoyance threaded its way up Serena's spine. Why did Castiel keep visiting her when she was naked? Surely angels weren't pervs? She saw him frown and remembered he could read her thoughts. Then she processed what he had said.

"What's happened?" she asked.

"It's time to take your uncle to America."

* * *

**Don't forget to tell me what you think!  
**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31  
**

**It meets up with episode 10 - Heaven and Hell **

* * *

Serena wasted no time. She wrapped herself in a towel and went to the laptop, logging onto an airline website. Pausing for a few seconds, she picked the cheapest flights and booked two tickets. One way or another, she was getting her uncle on the plane. The flight left from London Heathrow the next day and would arrive in Fort Worth, Texas. From there they would have to work out where Dean was. It wasn't like the angel had given her a town name. She tried calling Dean, Sam and Bobby but no one picked up. Was that Castiel's doing or was she already too late?

Half an hour later, she heard the front door opening. By this time she was dressed and awaiting his return. Serena had hoped to have come up with a way of persuading him to get on the plane. Instead she had settled with putting the printed out boarding passes on the table. Nate walked into the living room and threw his keys on the table. His eyes instantly found the documents.

"What is this?" He asked, picking them up.

"We're going home," Serena stated. "Tomorrow."

"Like hell we are," Nate snapped. "I told you I wasn't going back. Ever."

"Yes you are. You know why? Cos finally I am free to go and find Dean. But only if you come too. You know the score." Nate glared at her. She knew he was arguing with himself internally. "I'll say it again: one way or another we're going home tomorrow."

* * *

Serena led her uncle into his motel room. They had travelled nonstop for two days to get across the Atlantic and were a day's drive away from Bobby's house. She had a room opposite Nate; they had briefly thought about sharing a two bedroom room but had decided against it. In the end Nate had come begrudgingly, but Serena hadn't had to force it. If Dean needed her help, nothing would stop her coming to his aid, Nate appreciated that. Of course it wouldn't be straight forward. She had called Bobby again as soon as they had touched down in America, and was surprised to hear he was in Dominica. He told her that the Winchester's were hiding at his. He told her that he didn't know anything more, but Serena felt that he did.

"Be ready for half past," Serena ordered. It was strange to both her uncle and her that she had taken charge, but Nate nodded his head and obeyed. Serena had only loosely told him what had happened over the last year, but he understood that she needed his support now. She had been broken and she had healed. Now she would see Dean again, and he knew it would take its toll on her. He had been there himself.

Serena closed the door behind her and went into her own room. She dumped her bags on the bed and pulled off the leather jacket. She sighed; she couldn't believe that she would finally be able to see Dean again. She didn't know if she could handle it if she was perfectly honest with herself. For months she had kept her pain bottled up, but she had felt it all the more because of that. She was nervous, hell would change anybody and she knew that she had changed as well.

"Time to go," she called through her uncle's door. She had a bag on her shoulder full of weapons that they might need and her favourite gun tucked into her jeans. He opened the door and followed her down to the car park.

"Do we know where we're going?" he asked her.

"Yeah, Bobby called again. Apparently they're hiding at his place."

"They must be hiding from something big," Nate said. Serena nodded, she was worried for Dean. The drive took less time than usual thanks to Serena keeping her foot flat on the accelerator. She pulled up sharply outside Bobby's house and hurried up to the door.

"Dean," she called as she ran into Bobby's house. She glanced around the rooms and when she didn't see anyone she took the stairs to at a time.

"Hello?" Nate shouted behind her, he had his gun in his hands.

"I'm gonna try downstairs," she told him as she came back to the ground floor. He nodded and carried on looking around. She looked around the shelter and found no one. "There's no one here," she shouted up to her uncle.

"Hey, I got something," he called back. Serena ran back up the stairs and found him in the living room staring at a pile of papers.

"What is it?"

"They've been looking at articles, some in Ohio and some in Kentucky," he picked up the piece of paper on top. "This one is about a mystery tree."

"Mystery tree?" She repeated in confusion.

"Yeah, an oak tree grew from seed to full height in a week."

"That's the best lead we have…" Serena said.

"No, I think you should do a reading," Nate suggested. "Just in case." Serena nodded; she had seen a map last time she had been to Bobby's. She went over to the cabinet and pulled out what she needed.

* * *

"The reading definitely said Kentucky," Serena said for the second time, she was waiting in the doorway for her uncle. He had his back to her and was scanning the rest of the documents – they needed to know what they were facing. "Just bring it in the car. We need to go now!"

"Two minutes," Nate countered. "They're looking into angel lore Serena." Serena shrugged; she wasn't surprised, they were a big deal right now.

"So?"

"Look at these notes."

"Later. Now come on!" Nate looked at her as if she had gone mad. He grabbed a handful of lore and followed her. She had started the engine before he had even sat down.

"Hang on. Is that how you found me?"

"What?"

"Did Castiel give you a heads up?"

"Yes."

* * *

Serena and Nate found the barn in question with little difficulty. In her eyes, the area was deserted enough to be a safe house. Serena stopped the car next to where she saw the Impala was parked, and opened the car door. Nate grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"We don't know what to expect Serena," he reminded her. "Can't just run in there guns blazing." Serena gave him an 'I'm not stupid' look.

"If Castiel said we had to help Dean, then some major crap is about to go down," she replied. "Which means we can't just wait around until it's safe to go in." She shrugged out of his grip and went to the trunk, pulling out her bag of weapons. She checked her gun was loaded and then she threw a shotgun to her uncle. "Come on." Her mind was focused on saving Dean. They jogged to the barn doors and pushed them open. What Serena saw next surprised her. Her eyes found Castiel punching a man she couldn't see the face of. She had never thought angels were violent. She saw a dark skinned man being attacked by two other men. Then she saw Dean. He was hunched over to the side of the room with Sam and a red-haired woman. The woman was moving away from them, towards the fighting.

"Serena?" a voice said to her left. She spun round and saw a woman with black hair curled up on the floor. Serena could see blood coating her t-shirt. She tilted her head to the side; she had never seen the woman before. But still her instincts kicked in, she knelt next to the woman and helped her stand.

"Its okay, we'll get you out of here," she soothed. Nate nodded at her and took the woman from her. He turned to go outside to put her in the car, but the barn doors wouldn't open again. Nate glared at the demons in the room. Serena gestured for them to go to the corner of the barn and stay low. Her eyes went back to Dean and saw that he had heard the woman say her name. Their eyes locked on each other for a few seconds before Dean turned and hit the man standing over Castiel with a crowbar. Dean looked scared as the man turned to face him.

"Dean, Dean, Dean, I am so disappointed. You had such promise." As the man was saying this, Serena used the distraction to run across the barn to stand next to Dean, only to stop abruptly and grabbed her throat. She couldn't breathe, her airway was constricted. She looked at Dean and Sam and found them in a similar position. She noticed a bright light out of the corner of her eye but couldn't turn her head. The red-haired woman, who Serena recognised from an article in Bobby's house as Anna, screamed in the centre of the barn. Serena was too busy trying to suck some air in to see what was happening.

"Shut your eyes!" Anna shouted, repeating herself a couple of times. Serena did as she was told and shielded her face. Even so, she could see a bright white light, so much brighter than the last. As soon as the light disappeared, so did the pressure on her neck. She sucked in a breath and stood up slowly. Anna was gone, and so were the three demons. Dean picked up what Serena recognised as Ruby's knife and turned to face Castiel and the dark skinned man.

"What are you guy's waiting for? Aren't you gonna go get Anna?" Dean asked in a provoking tone. Nate and the woman walked forwards to, but stopped a few strides away from the angels. "Unless of course, you're scared."

"This isn't over," the dark skinned man said, stepping towards Dean. Serena stepped in front of Dean as Castiel put a restraining hand on the angels shoulder.

"It looks over to me, Junk-less," Dean replied. He shared a long look with Castiel before the angels disappeared. Everyone left in the room sagged slightly with relief. The dark haired woman staggered over towards them, Nate close behind.

"You okay?" Sam asked her. Dean glanced at her and then turned his attention to Serena.

"Not so much," the woman told him.

"Hey," she greeted, awkwardly.

"Hey yourself," he replied, pulling her into a one armed hug. She rested her head on his shoulder and breathed in the familiar scent.

"What took you so long to get here?" Dean asked over her shoulder. Serena knew he wasn't talking to her. She turned her head to see the woman's answer.

"Sorry I'm late with the demon delivery. I was only being tortured," she said sarcastically. Dean nodded.

"Well I gotta hand it to you Sammy. Bringing them all together, all at once…angels and demons? It's a damn good plan."

"Yeah well when you got Godzilla and Mothra on your ass, best to get out of their way and let them fight."

"Now you're just bragging."

"Hold up there," Nate interrupted, obviously fed up with not knowing the full details. "Just what the hell is going on? And who is she?" Serena stepped away from Dean.

"This is Nate Harding," she announced, just in case they hadn't figured it out. "He's got a point, who is she? She knew who I was."

"Ruby," the woman stated, she smiled weakly, making Serena frown. They hadn't exactly been on good terms.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Serena demanded. She shot Dean a look. "I go away for six months and suddenly we all love Ruby?"

"Exactly," Ruby countered. "I was doing what you couldn't. Saving their asses." Serena narrowed her eyes. Dean put a hand on Serena's shoulder.

"Its okay," he soothed. "We trust her now."

"You better have a good reason to," Serena snapped. Then she shrugged and glared at Ruby. "Well I'm back now, so obviously we don't need you anymore. Bye now."

"Serena," Sam said in a warning tone. "Its great to see you again, but Ruby is a friend."

"Seriously," Dean interrupted. "Can we all take it down a notch?" He put an arm around Serena, knowing she was angry. Sam nodded.

"So I guess Anna's some big-time angel now, huh?" He said, changing the subject. "She must be happy wherever she is." Dean shared a look with Ruby.

"I doubt it."

* * *

They all went back to Bobby's house after they left the barn. Sam tended to Ruby's wounds while Serena and Nate caught Dean up on what they knew. He in turn filled in a couple of their blanks. Serena could sense there was more that he wasn't saying to them. She didn't ask yet, knowing he'd tell her when he was ready. They hadn't been alone yet, and so far their reunion hadn't been quite what she was expecting. Then again she didn't really know what she had thought would happen. Sam entered the living room after a while.

"She's gone," he announced, leaning on the door frame. Serena relaxed slightly and took a sip of her beer. They all had bottles, celebrating the fact they were still alive.

"Good riddance," she muttered.

"Now I gotta ask," Nate said. "What's the deal with this Ruby? She's causing a lot of controversy."

"She's a skanky demon," Serena replied instantly.

"She's a friend," Sam corrected. "She is a demon sure. But she fights with us."

"Demons don't fight demons," Nate stated. "They're out for one thing only: themselves."

"Look, sir, I appreciate you're experienced…"

"Damn right I am," Nate interrupted. "And not once have I come across a son of a bitch that went against their nature."

"Ruby saved us," Dean stated. "Now I've been president of the We-Hate-Ruby club for a long time. But she proved herself to me." Serena avoided his gaze, taking another sip of beer. "Hey Sammy, why don't you show Nate Bobby's book collection." Sam nodded, noticing the tension between him and Serena. Nate stood up, taking his bottle with him. He shared a look with Serena and walked away.

"Rena…"

"I don't wanna talk about Ruby anymore Dean," Serena stated. Dean nodded and held out his hand. She looked up at him in confusion, but she accepted it. He pulled her up and led her outside. They stopped out of view of the house. He turned to face her.

"It's good to see you," he told her. She smiled at him.

"I never thought we'd be here," she replied. Dean nodded, knowing she meant more than just Bobby's yard.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"Oh peachy. At the risk of sounding like a trashy novel: my world's been turned upside down so many times in the last six months I'm not sure which way is up anymore."

"Been there," Dean agreed. He brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face. "You've had a haircut."

"Needed a change," Serena shrugged. By now her hair was just below her shoulders. They stood looking at each other for a while. "We should probably talk about it."

"About what?"

"The big pink elephant in the room Dean," Serena replied. Dean gave an 'oh that' look. She continued in a matter of fact tone.

"I don't know," Dean replied. He stared passed her and nodded slightly. "Look, Anna and I..."

Serena looked up at him trying to read his thoughts. But she knew where this was going. He had told her about the girl at Oktoberfest. She knew how Dean had been before they got close.

"I get it," she said. And she did. But how did she feel about it? Dean put his hands on her upper arms. She stepped backwards. "It's fine Dean. For all you knew, I wouldn't be back for years." She walked off, needing some time. But Dean followed her and swung her round. He kissed her hard. Serena didn't fight it like Dean thought she would. It answered her next question a lot better than a long rant would have. They broke apart when they needed air. She was smiling so Dean knew he wasn't in trouble.

"Fine. But if it happens again I'll kill you." She patted his cheek and walked back inside, knowing his eyes were glued to her back.

* * *

A few hours later and they were all arranged in the living room again. Dean and Serena had gone into the nearest town and picked up some food for everyone as Bobby's cupboards were bare. Sam and Nate had gone into research mode, searching for as much information on how to stop angels as they could find. It was hard to come by.

"I didn't realise angels were dicks," Serena said, changing the subject. "I mean Castiel is alright, at least he kinda has a heart. That other one…"

"Uriel? Biggest douche I've ever met."

"Demons have an excuse you know… angels are supposed to be everything good."

* * *

**In case anyone's confused. I reuploaded this chapter as I noticed a few issues. **


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32 **

**Set after Family Remains**

* * *

Serena was getting angry. Since their kiss after the angels had retreated, Dean had kept her at arm's length. He treated her in the same as he would anybody else: distant and sarcastic. It had been week since they had been reunited and it seemed to Serena that Dean was avoiding being alone with her. At all costs. She stayed in Bobby's house with her uncle while the Winchester's went off to do jobs. They had come back twice in the past seven days. It wasn't exactly how she had imagined their reunion, and though she knew there would be some level of awkwardness, she had hoped things would fall back into place. For things to go back to how they were. Serena looked out of the window at the sound of a car. She pulled back the net curtain in the library and saw the Impala. She walked to the door and opened it for them. Sam came in first, smiling at her in greeting. She smiled weakly back at him and then looked at Dean. She could tell he was injured as soon as she saw him. He wouldn't meet her eyes and walked passed her, heading straight for the kitchen.

"What happened?"

"People," Sam told her simply. She nodded and looked at the back of Dean's head. He was out of hearing range now.

"Sam, what's going on? Have I done something?" Sam checked where Dean was.

"I don't know, he's been off ever since…"

"Yeah I noticed," she replied. "He hasn't said more than ten words to me."

"Give it time Rena."

"I'm worried about him." Sam nodded, his expression matching hers. They stood in silence for a few minutes. "Its Anna isn't it?"

"What?"

"Oh come on Sam, he told me about it" Sam looked at her soulfully.

"I don't know Serena, I wish I did."

* * *

"We need to talk," Serena demanded, standing in the doorway of the kitchen. It was the next day and Serena had had enough. Dean turned around to look at her blankly. Serena rolled her eyes at his stoicism. She could feel herself getting angry and she tried to clamp down on it. "Okay, I'll talk. I'm confused Dean. I couldn't wait to see you, and I thought you felt the same way. I thought that Castiel was the only thing stopping us being together again. Now it seems like you are as well. I don't know what I've done, but whatever it is I'm sorry. I know you literally went through hell, but Dean, you're out now. You can live."

"I can't do this right now," Dean stated. He had turned to face her during her rant. She shook her head.

"Well you're gonna have to do it now Dean," Serena replied, he lowered his gaze to the floor. "I'm not gonna wait around for you to snap out of it." She waited for him to look at her. When she realised he wasn't going to she spun round and headed for the door. "Fine." She slammed the door behind her and headed towards her Celica. The door opened behind her, she glanced over her shoulder to see Dean. He opened his mouth to say something. "No, don't bother." She threw herself into her car and drove off. The last thing she wanted was to be forced to watch as Dean got further away from her, so she would put as much distance as she could between them. Her phone rang; she glanced at it, thinking it would be Dean. It wasn't.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"Where are you going?" Nate asked calmly.

"I don't know yet!"

"Well get back here by morning, there's a job we should look into."

"Send Sam," Serena said shortly.

"They're leaving for another job soon." She hung up and carried on driving straight. She planned to drive until she was too tired to concentrate. If Dean wasn't man enough to let her in, then he wasn't who she thought he was. She knew she was being stubborn, but she had tried to talk to him on numerous occasions.

* * *

She walked back into Bobby's house, glad to see the Impala wasn't in the driveway. The door banged shut behind her. The first three rooms she peeked into were empty. She hesitantly went upstairs. It was Bobby's house, meaning that she didn't want to intrude. The rooms were all empty. She went back downstairs, cringing at how loud her footsteps were on the stairs.

"Nate?" She called as she reached the bottom.

"He's not here," a voice called from the front door. She pulled her gun out of the back of her jeans. She walked as quietly as she could, cursing her shoes as she went. She peeked around the doorway and saw Dean standing calmly in the middle of the room. She lowered her gun and leant against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" she asked hostilely. He took a deep breath and closed the distance between them. Before Serena could stop him, he kissed her more passionately than she remembered he ever had. They eventually broke apart. Serena stood dazed for a few minutes, but she shook her head and looked at him expectantly.

"Well, you know, I'm uh…you know…" he started. She raised an eyebrow at him. He coughed awkwardly.

"That's an eye opening moment," Serena commented sarcastically. He opened his mouth. "If you even utter the words 'chick-flick' or 'sensitive' I will be through that door before you finish." He smirked slightly and nodded.

"Nate went with Sam on that job, they left while I was asleep," he pointed at a note on the table near her side. She glanced at it, recognising Sam's handwriting. "They thought we needed time." She nodded. "Look, I shouldn't have treated you how I have," Dean said. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his chin. "You were right when you said I had a chance to live again. The thing is I wasn't sure what that meant. Things have changed too much to just go back to how things were." Serena nodded sadly. "There are things I haven't told you Rena, things I didn't want you to know." He stopped.

"Dean what is it?" He led her over to Bobby's sofa. They both sat down.

"I know I said that I never wanted to talk about hell, but the things that I did…"

"What you did? You were in hell Dean… it was pure torture." He looked at her wryly.

"Yeah, thing is, for some of it I did the torturing." Her face fell; she looked deeply into his eyes, trying to gage the truth.

"But you were there for four months…"

"No, it was a lot longer," Dean replied. "More like forty years."

"No…" Serena said, her heart breaking for him. It was bad enough when she knew it was four months. He had been in hell longer than he'd been on earth. She kissed the top of his head and cradled his face. He pulled away from her.

"Alastair gave me an offer; he would stop torturing me if I took his place. And for thirty years I refused, I told him to-" he paused, his eyes glazing over. "But I just couldn't take anymore, each day he would carve me like I was a lump of meat, and then I would be whole again and then he'd start over. Do you know how it felt to be the one carving? It felt great…"

"Dean…" Serena said, just above a whisper. She didn't know what to say. A small part of her was disgusted, but she would never say as much. "No one can blame you for that."

"I tortured people and I liked it," he stated. "I'm so much worse than what we hunt," he looked at her and saw tears silently falling down her cheeks.

"This is why you've been…now I feel like a bitch." He looked at her sharply.

"No, I'm not exactly Mr Share and Care."

"True that," Serena replied. They curled up together on the sofa in silence. Serena tried to get her head around everything Dean had just told her, but she couldn't. In the months Dean was in hell, Serena had tried to picture what hell was like. She hadn't been able to. But this seemed sicker than anything she had ever come close to imagining.

* * *

Sam and Nate returned two days later. They were both pleased to see that Dean and Serena seemed to have aired out their problems. When they had walked through Bobby's front door, Dean and Serena were nowhere to be found. Sam checked upstairs and heard Serena giggling in Bobby's spare room.

"We're back," he called through the door and went back downstairs. Nate had poured a glass of whiskey for himself, when he saw Sam come into the kitchen he pulled a beer out of the fridge for him. Ten minutes later, Dean led Serena into the kitchen and greeted them.

"How was the job?" Serena asked.

"Fine, just a haunting," Nate told her.

"It's been so long since it was just a haunting," Serena replied wistfully.

"Tell me about it," Sam agreed. "Bobby rang on our way back, he was at the airport. Should be here in about two hours."

"About time he came back to reality," Dean commented.

"Serena, can I have a word," Nate said suddenly. He left the room and went outside. Serena frowned, grabbed a jacket and followed him out. Dean and Sam shared a look, but neither had any idea what it was about.

"What's going on?" Serena asked as soon as she had left the warmth of the house.

"I think it's time I tell you the truth," Nate stated. Serena frowned again.

"Truth about what?"

"Why I went to Europe in the first place," Nate explained. "You never really asked me why. I am grateful for that but now you need to know. Things are gonna start happening fast now."

"Nate, really, what's going on?"

"It was just before your sixteenth birthday. In fact it was why I came and started training you. I knew I didn't have much time to make you into a decent hunter. I met an honest-to-god psychic in Wisconsin when I was working a job. She told me that something was coming for me, that I would be given a job bigger than I could handle. That put me on guard. A week later I was approached by an angel. He told me I had been chosen to fulfil a mission from God. I was to find the most powerful flaming sword heaven had. It had been lost centuries before. I told him I needed time as I had to complete another calling first – our family's calling – to train the next generation. He gave me two years to complete it. So I trained you up and turned you into the best hunter I could and then I fled to the Black Forest in Germany and found a way of blocking my signal from anything looking for me."

"But Castiel told me where you were," Serena said, puzzled.

"Yes, that is a mystery to me," Nate replied honestly. "We'll have to ask him."

"So, let me get this straight: 11 years ago an angel charged you with finding a sword and you didn't. Which is why they sent me to collect you."

"That's my take on it."

"And now you're back, you're gonna start hunting for this sword."

"I don't think I have a choice now."

"Great. And what do we do when we find it?"

"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it," Nate said, Serena knew he had no idea either.

"Oh this just gets better and better."

"I've been reading up on the weapons of heaven but I can't find any record of a sword getting lost."

"Of course not." Serena replied sarcastically. "We'll have to ask Bobby."

"No. We don't tell anyone Serena."

"You've got to be kidding me; I am not keeping this from them."

"I will tell them in my own time. I want you to come with me on this search." Serena walked a few steps away from her uncle and ran a hand through her hair.

"I can't process this yet," she told him and went back inside.

* * *

**Any questions? Let me know!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

**Set during On the Head of a Pin. Enjoy!**

* * *

For four weeks, Serena had been holed up with Nate in a motel in Colorado. They had barely left the motel room, reading every volume Nate had 'acquired' from Bobby's house, while Serena perused the internet. The tricky part for Serena was working out what was real and what was written by civilians. It was frustrating work and Nate wasn't good company. He was grumpy because he didn't want to be involved with the angels, he had fled on the advice of the psychic and he felt it was unwise to work for them now. They both couldn't figure out why the angels needed them to do all the hard work – surely heaven was better placed to look for the sword. Serena sighed and picked up her bottle of beer. Taking a swig, she snapped her laptop shut.

"I'm calling it a night," Serena announced. Nate looked up at her over the top of the book he was reading. He nodded at her and went back to his book. She sighed again, that was the most interaction they had had all evening. "Great." Placing her laptop on the floor next to her bed, she stretched out under the covers, not bothering to get changed. Sometime later, her cell rang, waking her up. She sat up quickly and answered it.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Thank god, Serena," Sam said.

"Sam, whats wrong? Is Dean okay? Are you alright?"

"They've taken Dean," he stated.

"Who have?" Serena asked, her eyes widening.

"The angels," Sam told her. "It gets worse: they've taken him to torture Alastair."

"Son of a bitch," she snapped. "Where are you?"

"Cheyenne, Wyoming."

"I'll be there in 2 hours," she said and hung up. She leapt out of bed and threw her things in a bag. Nate, who had still been reading when Serena's phone had started ringing, stood up quickly.

"Serena?"

"I have to go now," she said. "I need to stop them."

"Demons or angels?" Serena paused and met his eyes.

"Angels." Nate nodded; he was starting to get very suspicious of the angels. "I don't know when I'll be back. If you find something, contact Bobby." She held up her hand as he started to object. "Whatever. I'll call when I can."

* * *

Serena was sitting in her car, waiting for Sam to come out and tell her where Dean was. Ruby had knocked on her window and greeted her, promising to find the older Winchester's location, on her way to help Sam. Serena tapped the steering wheel restlessly; she didn't want Dean to use his torturing skill. She was worried that she would lose Dean in some way. He was damaged enough as it was.

"Cas!" She tried for the fifteenth time. It was pointless trying again, but she had to do something. Angels were supposed to listen, and Castiel appeared to her often enough, so it would make sense that he might hear her? She didn't know if it worked like that, but she hoped it did. "Please Cas, I just need to be there for him!"

"He won't respond." Serena swore and turned to face the passenger's seat. She narrowed her eyes as she took in the person sitting next to her.

"Anna…" she said slowly. She had only seen the angel once for a short time. "What are you doing here?"

"I know where Dean is," Anna replied, she looked at Serena sympathetically. "I'm giving you a chance to stop him in case Castiel stops me. Cas is convinced that this is God's will, but..." Serena shook her head.

"I'm in," she stated, stopping Anna midsentence. She didn't care about the bigger picture right now. Anna smiled sadly and put her hand on Serena's shoulder. Serena blinked and found herself standing in a dingy room. It was the kind of place she pictured in her mind when someone mentioned torture.

"Anna," Castiel said. Serena's eyes met his back. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Serena glanced at Anna. She wasn't sure if Castiel knew she was there or not, but she assumed he did.

"Hello Castiel," Anna replied simply. She nodded over at a door to the side of the room. Serena looked at it and nodded. She walked over it slowly. Now that she was here, she didn't know if she wanted to see what was on the other side of the door. She could hear noises through the wall and gulped. Then she remembered that it was Dean doing the torturing and she hurried to the door. How could she even consider turning away when it was Dean that was slowly being destroyed? Castiel glanced over his shoulder at the sound of Anna's voice.

"Your human body…" he said, his eyes brushed past Serena and he ignored her. Serena was glad, she expected him to stop her. Maybe he didn't want Dean to be doing this anymore than Anna or Serena did. Serena ignored the rest of their conversation and pushed the heavy door open. She saw Alastair chained to a six-pointed star, it was the most elaborate trap she had seen. Dean was standing in front of Alastair, she couldn't see what he was doing, but whatever it was elicited a cry from the demon. Dean either didn't hear her come in or was just too involved in what he was doing. The demon did notice her. He started a deep mocking chuckle and stared at Dean. Serena couldn't quite understand what was going on.

"Well, it's your professionalism that I respect," he said finally. Dean shoved off of him and turned away. He looked up at saw Serena there. She was shocked by the pure hatred written across his features. She drew in a sharp breath; it didn't look like the Dean she knew. She took a step towards him. His face didn't even register seeing her, his eyes slid passed her and walked to the table.

"Dean," she said softly. He ignored her and poured holy water into a goblet. "Dean, you don't have to do this…" Alastair began to chuckle again as he watched Serena's failed attempts to get Dean's attention. He stopped laughing as Dean approached him again, holding the goblet of holy water. Dean poured it over the demon's face and down his throat. Alastair choked and cried out in pain again. Serena gasped at the scene in front of her.

"Who's murdering the angels?" Dean asked. Alastair didn't say anything.

"Dean," Serena said sharply. "Dean, listen to me. Please Dean, don't do this." She took a deep breath and walked towards him. She grabbed his arm. He looked at her as if she were a stranger. "It's me, Serena."

"Get out of here," Dean growled.

"No, if you're going through this, then so am I."

"Serena, leave," he said again. "I don't want you in here."

"Tough," she replied. "I won't leave you to do this alone." Alastair stopped coughing up blood.

"Sorry," he announced, Dean pushed Serena towards the door and stepped back towards the demon. "Something caught in my throat… I think it's my throat."

"Well, strap in," Dean replied coldly. Serena backed away at the sound of his voice. "'Cause I'm just starting to have fun." Dean looked at him for a while, looking slightly amused. He went back to the table again, not looking at Serena. She was scared of the man in front of her. This wasn't the Dean she knew and loved.

"It was supposed to be your father," Alastair said. Serena tore her eyes away from Dean and stared at the demon. Dean didn't react; he carried on pouring yet more holy water. "He was supposed to bring it on." Serena didn't understand what Alastair was getting at. "But in the end it was you."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, she needed to know. Dean continued to appear detached throughout the demon's speech, but Serena knew he was listening.

"Bring what on?" he questioned in an offhand fashion.

"Every night, the same offer, remember?" Alastair replied. Serena knew he meant the offer in hell: 'if you pick up this blade, I'll put mine down'. Dean dipped Ruby's dagger in holy water and poured salt over it. "Same as your father, and finally you said 'sign me up'. Oh the first time you picked up my razor, the first time you sliced into that weeping bitch that was the first seal." Serena felt her body go cold. Alastair was lying wasn't he? He had to be. Dean…it just couldn't be right. Dean had paused what he was doing, he was staring into space, probably remembered the time. He looked over at Alastair with a mix of anger and disbelief. He walked over to the demon.

"You're lying," he stated. Alastair stopped smiling,

"'And it is written that the first seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in hell. As he breaks, so shall it break'." Serena had a hand pressed to her mouth. She could accept that it had all started with Dean in hell, but she didn't think that he could. "We had to break the first seal before any others. Only way to get the dominoes to fall right, topple the one at the front of the line." Was this why Lilith had taken such an interest in Dean's trip to hell? Serena blinked and looked at Alastair, who was completely focused on Dean. The Winchester stood next to Serena, but faced away from the trap, Serena could tell the demon's words were cutting him. Alastair looked upwards, as calm as if he wasn't being tortured. "When we win, when we bring on the apocalypse and burn the earth down, we'll owe it all to you Dean Winchester." Serena glared daggers at the demon and turned to Dean. She put a hand on his shoulder, he jumped at the contact.

"Dean, it doesn't matter," she comforted. She stood in front of him and put her hands on either side of his face to stop him looking away from her. "You hear me? If it is true, it doesn't matter. If it wasn't you it would be someone else." Dean's lips quivered, his eyes watered. Serena's heart went out to him as she watched. He was looking through her. She put her arms around his back and hugged him gently. Dean closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. He would not let Alastair see how his words affected him.

"Believe me son," Alastair said. "I wouldn't lie about that. It's kind of a…" he looked across at the pipes without Serena or Dean realising. "…religious sort of thing with me." Serena pulled back slightly to look at Dean's face, to judge his reaction. His eyes were full of tears. Serena looked at him sadly. He glanced down at her and nodded slightly. She stepped away from him, still keeping eye contact. He raised the bloodied knife in his hand and prepared himself.

"I don't think you're lying," Dean said finally. "But even if the demons do win…you won't be there to see it." He turned around, his eyes widening in surprise to find Alastair unchained, standing outside of the white chalked trap. Serena stepped out of Dean's shadow as she realised something was wrong.

"Serena, get the hell out of here," Dean ordered quickly. Serena held her ground, she wouldn't leave Dean now.

"You should see your plumber about the pipes," Alastair drawled. Dean's face was set. The demon took a swing at Dean before he had a chance to react. Serena's eyes widened. She couldn't pretend that she wasn't scared. She watched as Alastair looked down at Dean's body with a look of satisfaction on his face. She thought for a second and rushed at the demon. Serena managed to shove him to the floor and punched him squarely on the jaw. She felt more confident that they could win this fight when she saw Dean stand up slowly. Alastair took advantage of that split second of distraction and pushed her off of him. Dean stumbled towards them, but not in time to stop Alastair punching Serena across the cheek, sending her flying into the wall, knocked out cold. Dean looked over at her, saw she was breathing and turned his full attention on Alastair. He went to punch him in the gut, but the demon blocked him and let off a few punches to his face. Dean didn't get an opportunity to hit him back after that. He wondered where Castiel was, shouldn't he be watching? Alastair picked Dean up and grabbed his neck, pushing him towards the star he had been chained to. Dean was bleeding from different parts of his face. He was in no state to fight back. Alastair raised him high on the star.

"You've got a lot to learn boy," he said. "So I'll see you back in class bright and early Monday morning." Dean was struggling to breathe; the demon's grip was like iron across his neck. Castiel rushed into the room, distracting the demon enough to drop Dean. The angel stabbed Alastair just above his heart. Alastair looked down at it.

"Well almost," he mocked. "But it looks like god is on my side today." Castiel glared at the comment, he raised his arm and twisted the blade in Alastair's body. The demon growled and with effort pulled the blade out. He tossed it away and rushed Castiel. They traded punches, resulting in Alastair impaling Castiel on a hook in the wall. He grabbed the angel's throat.

"Well, like roaches you celestials. I wish I knew how to kill you," he added. "But all I can do is to send you back to heaven." Castiel struggled as Alastair started the incantation that would banish him. Light shone out of the angel's eyes and mouth as he neared the end of the incantation. He choked to a stop mid-word as his own air was cut off; he was thrown into the wall, away from Castiel. He turned his head and saw Sam walk into the room. Castiel slumped to the floor. Alastair muttered under his breath.

"Who's murdering the angels? How are they doing it?" Sam questioned, his hand outstretched to keep the demon in place. He laughed.

"You think I'm gonna tell you?"

"Yeah I do," Sam replied, he twisted his wrist and curled his fingers. Alastair's eyes rolled back and revealed his demonic white eyeballs. He choked. "How are the demons killing the angels?"

"I don't know," he said between groans. Sam twisted tighter and his fingers formed a fist. "It's…not…us. We're not doing it."

"I don't believe you," Sam replied.

"Lilith is not behind this," Alastair added. Castiel looked between them in confusion. "She wouldn't kill seven angels; she'd kill a hundred…a thousand." Sam lowered his arm. "Oh go ahead, send me back…if you can."

"I'm stronger than that now," Sam stated. "Now I can kill!" Castiel turned sharply to Sam in surprise. Sam put his arm out again, palm flatly facing the demon; he closed his eyes and concentrated. Alastair screamed as it happened, his body falling to the floor. Sam looked at Castiel, looking slightly uncomfortable.

* * *

**More to come soon!  
**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

* * *

A few hours later, Dean and Serena were in hospital beds in neighbouring rooms. Serena had a broken cheek bone and a fractured skull from the impact with the wall. Serena was conscious, but every time she moved her head it set off a bolt of pain, even through the morphine.

"Serena," a voice said from the doorway. She tried to see who was there without turning her head. Not that she needed to see him to recognise the voice.

"Castiel," she greeted.

"I am sorry you were hurt," he said, coming into her line of vision.

"You should be," she replied. "How did you let it get that far, Cas? I thought you were on our side!" Castiel looked down.

"I do not know how the trap failed. It should not have. I made it myself, it was perfect."

"That's not even the point, Cas. How could you do that to Dean? Don't bother contacting me again." Cas turned around to leave. She glanced at the clock on the wall and when she glanced back Castiel had gone.

* * *

Dean was in a far worse condition, he was wired up to a breathing machine. Sam sat at his bedside, only looking up when Cas appeared in the doorway. The angel motioned for Sam to follow him into the corridor.

"Sam…"

"Get in there and heal him! Miracle, now!"

"I can't," Castiel replied honestly.

"You and Uriel put him in there," Sam snapped angrily.

"No…"

"Cos you can't keep a simple Devil's Trap together," he added, accusingly.

"I don't know what happened. That trap, it shouldn't have broken. I am sorry."

"This whole thing…was pointless. You understand that? The demons aren't doing the hits. Something else is killing your soldiers."

"Perhaps Alastair was lying-"

"No, he wasn't," Sam stated, he turned around and walked away, leaving Castiel standing in the corridor. The angel was deeply confused. Who could be behind the attacks?

* * *

The day after Castiel had dealt with Uriel, he returned to Dean's hospital bed. He found Dean was awake. He looked a mess, Castiel assessed. Perhaps now wasn't the best time for this chat.

"Are you alright?" He asked from the chair he was sitting in.

"No thanks to you!" Dean replied, his voice was gravelly.

"You need to be more careful."

"You need to learn how to manage a damn devil's trap," Dean countered.

"That's not what I mean. Uriel is dead."

"Was it the demons?"

"It was disobedience. He was working against us."

"Is it true? Did I break the first seal? Did I start all this?" Castiel paused, deciding whether to answer the question truthfully. He decided it was best to.

"Yes when we discovered Lilith's plan for you we laid siege to hell before you-"

"So I started the apocalypse," Dean interrupted. Even Castiel could tell how badly Dean was taking it.

"We were too late."

"Why didn't you just leave me there then?"

"It's not blame that falls on you Dean, its fate. The righteous man who begins it is the only one who can finish it. You have to stop it."

"Lucifer? The apocalypse? What does that mean?" Cas stayed silent. "Hey? Don't you go disappearing on me you son of a bitch!"

"I don't know," Cas answered truthfully.

"Bull!"

"I don't know, they don't tell me much, I know our fate rests with you."

"Then you guys are screwed, I can't do it Cas. It's too big, Alastair was right, I'm not all here, I'm not strong enough. Well I guess I'm not the man either of our dads wanted us to be. Find someone else. It's not me." A tear rolled down his face. Castiel disappeared.

* * *

It was just under a week before Serena and Dean were back on the road. After three days, Serena had recovered enough to check herself out of the hospital and had to stop Dean attempting the same. She had sat next to his bed for the entire time he was recovering. For the first day, Serena tried to distract him from the recent events with light hearted banter, but she could tell he felt terrible. On the fourth day since the torture, Serena decided to just ask him straight. She squeezed his hand.

"Let's get this out of the way, hey?" Dean looked away from her, clearly not wanting to. "Fine, you can listen then. We've been through a lot in the time we've known each other. We've been in some dark places. None quite as dark as this one. But that doesn't mean we won't get through it." Dean looked at her with disbelief in his eyes. "I'm not gonna tell you I understand, or liked what I saw in that room... You frightened me more than Alastair." She held up her hand to stop him, but he ignored her.

"I told you to leave," he reminded her. She nodded. Dean sighed and stared into the distance. "I'm broken, Serena. I don't know how to come back from this."

* * *

Two days later, Serena drove Dean back to the motel she and Sam were staying in.

She fished the motel room key out of her pocket and opened the motel door. Serena walked in and found Sam asleep on one of the beds.

"Rise and shine Sammy," Dean called, closing the door behind him with more force than was necessary. Sam jerked awake and sat up.

"Dean," he said in surprise. "Are you sure you should be-"

"Don't start," he replied. "I've had that from her."

"Maybe she's right…"

"No," Dean stated. He fell into the chair leaning against the wall. He looked at Sam. "The doctor agreed to release me." Sam nodded as if that was enough.

"Well I'm glad you're alright," he said earnestly. He turned his gaze towards Serena. "Nate wants you at Bobby's as soon as you can travel."

"Are you not coming?" Serena asked, looking up at Dean. She didn't want him out of her sight until they had discussed what she had seen. He glanced at Sam before answering.

"I'm driving you," he told her. "Sam will follow in the Impala." She opened her mouth to argue that she would be driving her own car. But she preferred him driving than them parting right here and now.

"Fine, let's go then." She stood up quickly; a jolt of pain went through her.

"Rena?" He asked. She didn't move for a few seconds and then spoke up.

"Head rush," she lied. The fact that she didn't shake him off told Dean, and Sam, that it hadn't been head rush. They shared a look and Dean led her back out to the parking lot. Serena handed over the keys to her Celica. She didn't know what the pain had been about; her fracture should have healed more than that.

* * *

The drive took over five hours; Serena had fallen asleep within the first hour. Dean let her sleep, keeping his music – AC/DC – at a low level. He was worried about her; the fracture on her skull was still causing her pain. He felt guilty; he should have been able to protect her, instead he had been too far gone down the darkest path he had ever been on. If he hadn't been so drawn in to what Alastair had been saying he would have been able to act faster. He hadn't told Serena all of what Castiel had told him. Hell, even Sam still didn't know the full extent of it. Serena didn't know the angels needed him to end it all. Neither knew he wasn't strong enough for it. He couldn't even keep Serena safe. She yawned in the seat next to him and stretched as she woke up just as he pulled up in front of Bobby's house.

"Hey," she said sleepily.

"Morning sleepy head," he said softly. She looked out the window and saw they had stopped. She registered quickly that Nate had gone to Bobby for help. This pleased her. Her hand reached out to the door handle and paused on it.

"You're leaving me here aren't you?" She looked up at him and waited for his answer. He sighed and glanced at the roof of the car.

"Yes, I can't have you around when I can't protect you."

"Dean…"

"I know. I just got you back," he replied, echoing her thoughts. "That's why I won't risk it." Serena nodded; she had spent days studying his mood and knew how he was feeling. Her hand closed on the door handle and opened it. She got out slowly, pulling her bag out of the backseat with her. Dean followed suit. Sam pulled up in the Impala a few seconds later. He got out of the car and walked over to meet them. They all walked up to Bobby's front door and rang the doorbell. The door opened immediately, revealing Nate's stoic face. It softened as he saw all three of their tired faces.

"Come in," he moved away from the door and ushered them inside. Dean, holding Serena's hand, led the way. Sam closed the door behind him. They walked into the main room and sat on the chairs. Bobby appeared at the door leading to the kitchen. He nodded at the Winchester's and Serena, analysing each of them.

"Y'all look terrible," he stated.

"Been a tough week," she replied. She looked at her uncle. "What do you need me for?"

"We have a lead," Nate told her. Sam stood up and motioned for Bobby and Dean to follow him. Serena watched them leave.

"Go on," she said.

"I need you to speak to that angel," Nate announced. "There's no point telling you about the lead if I've got it wrong."

"You summoned me all the way here just for me to ask Cas a question?" Nate frowned at her and nodded. "I'm sure he'd appear to you Nate, you're the important one." It felt too petty for her to say she didn't want to speak to the angel again for a very long time. Nate's frown deepened, but was saved from any response as the others walked back into the room.

"We're gonna take off," Sam said, he leant against the wall and looked at her apologetically. Serena looked from him to Dean and stood up.

"We'll give you a minute," Bobby added, gesturing for Nate to leave with them. Dean waited until he was alone with Serena. He walked over to her and took her hands in his.

"It won't be for long," he told her. "We told Bobby the jist of what happened."

"Okay," she replied. She knew it was better for all of them if she stayed and got better. It would distract Dean too much if she went. "Just make sure you come back alive, I won't be there to watch your back." He grimaced at the comment. He kissed her gently before turning away.

"Hey," she called after him. She walked over to him and kissed him harder. She curled a hand around his neck as his arms circled her back. They got lost in each other, only pulling away when Sam cleared his throat.

"We should go," he said. He walked over to Serena and put an arm round her shoulders. "See you soon." Serena smiled at him and watched as he walked out behind Dean. She was curious as to what was said in the kitchen when she was talking to her uncle. She would have to find out later.

"Bobby," she called, heading to the kitchen to find him. He looked up as she walked into the room. "What's going on?"

"I wish I knew. You're uncle's not telling me everything." Serena laughed.

"Sounds like him. Did they fill you in?" Bobby nodded. "It was awful Bobby. I'm worried."

"The boy's tough," Bobby reminded her. "But we'll keep a close eye on him. I'll be outside Serena," he told her before closing the door. She turned around and jumped when she saw Castiel staring out the window.

"Cas," she said in surprise. He looked distracted. "I thought I made it obvious I'm done with angels."

"You must tell your uncle that I cannot speak to him," he told her, ignoring her comment.

"Why not?" she asked. "He just wants to ask-"

"I know," he replied. "I am limited in what I can say."

"Well I'm not your messenger service," Castiel looked at her closely.

"Serena, this is not something you can ignore now. I can't tell you much."

"This is stupid, there's no way we can win this if we can't get help!"

"Uriel is dead," Castiel told her, changing the subject.

"What," she replied in shock.

"Dean did not tell you? It was he that killed my brothers and sisters." Serena gasped. As much as she had disliked the angel, she couldn't believe he was anything other than…well an angel.

"How?"

"There is only one way to kill an angel," Castiel said cryptically. "Tell your uncle that it is hidden outside of Eden."

"What does that even mean Cas?" she asked in frustration. "What the hell is going on?"

"Go to Eden and you will find your answers. I'm sorry Serena." And he was gone. She heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. She looked towards them and saw her uncle appear. Her uncle looked at her questioningly.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Castiel decided to drop in," she told him.

"And? Did you ask him to talk to me?"

"Yup, and he won't," she replied. "But he told me to pass on a message, which I won't do again."

"Well, what was it?"

"Eden," she stated. Her uncle's eyes widened. "Whatever it is you're looking for, it's outside Eden."

"Does he mean the Garden of Eden?"

"I don't know, he's all for being cryptic."

"Right," he said shortly. "Good work."

"I won't have any more to do with him. Don't ask me again." Nate nodded, he had felt similarly many years ago.

"Uncle, what's going on?" She asked after a few minutes. There was some piece of the puzzle she knew she didn't grasp. He nodded slowly and led her to the sofa.

"I didn't tell you everything the other day," he started.

"I'm getting fed up of these conversations Nate," she replied, in a tone that hinted resentment.

"What I didn't tell you was that there were demons involved as well," he said, ignoring her. Serena looked up at him sharply.

"Before or after the angel?"

"After. I stumbled across their plan close to the time I left you."

"Plan?"

"A powerful group of demons found out about my role: Azazel, Lilith and many others. They threatened my family; they were going to take you to hell. I couldn't risk that they were bluffing so I left."

"What plan?"

"The seals, freeing Lucifer. I understood why the sword needed finding – Heaven needed a weapon. I was actually searching for it."

"So you fled, but not from angels."

"If you'd met Azazel you'd understand," he told her. "You know Lilith, that should give you an idea. As I said last time, things are moving quickly now."

"I can't believe you knew this was gonna happen and you didn't try to stop it."

"What the hell could I have done?" Nate snapped at her. "I was scared for you, for your mom."

"That's it though right, no more secrets?"

"That's it."

* * *

**:)  
**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35!  
**

* * *

It took the combined efforts of Serena, Bobby and Nate over the next week to understand what Castiel meant. At first they thought he meant the actual Garden of Eden, but Bobby pointed out that it would be impossible for them to find it, which led them to believe he referred to a town or city. Serena had searched for 'Eden' and come up with around ten possible results. It took a further few days of researching to narrow it down to two possibilities: one in Texas and one in North Carolina.

By this time Serena's head was completely healed. She had tried to phone Dean on numerous occasions, but it went straight to voicemail. He must be in the middle of a job, she thought to herself. But there was something in the way they had parted that seemed final…again.

"Right," Nate said, two weeks after the Winchester's had left Serena at Bobby's. "I think we should split up, two go to Texas and the other goes to North Carolina."

"Is that the best way to do it?" Serena asked. "Surely it's more dangerous that way."

"Serena's right," Bobby added. "I think we should stick together on this. It won't just be lying around will it? There will be defences, traps and hell, maybe even demons."

"I'm not coming with you," Serena stated slowly. She had planned to, but now they came to planning it, it felt wrong. The fact that Dean hadn't contacted her in two weeks worried her more than she had first realised.

"Yes you are," Nate ordered. "Don't even think of running after the Winchesters. They have their jobs and we have ours."

"You lost the right to order me around when you left me," she snapped. "And I will meet you as soon as I know they're alright."

"Serena, we could do with your help," Bobby reasoned. "But I agree, they should have checked in by now. I'm surprised Dean hasn't checked on you." Serena nodded, she was just as surprised.

"Fine, just let me try calling once more," she added.

"Fine," Nate snapped. He grabbed his coat and his packed bag and went out to Bobby's car. Bobby hesitated, anxious to here from the boys as well. She pulled her cell out of her pocket. She dialled Dean's number.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Dean! Thank god," she replied quickly. Bobby nodded, content to hear from Dean, and walked out to the car. "I thought something had happened-"

"Who is this?" he questioned, cutting her off.

"It's me, Serena," she said slowly.

"I don't know any Serena. You must have the wrong number." The phone line went dead and she stood there staring at her phone for a long time. That had definitely been Dean's voice. Was he in trouble? Was he trying to warn her?

"Cas," she shouted. "Cas, what the hell is going on?" She felt guilty about calling him down after her outbursts, but she needed answers.

"Serena," he said from behind her. She swung round to see him standing calmly in front of her.

"Where is Dean? Why didn't he recognise my voice?" Castiel avoided her eyes. "Cas."

"The lord works in mysterious ways Serena," he told her.

"Don't give me that crap," she snapped. "He hasn't contacted me in two weeks, and when I finally get him on the phone he says he doesn't know me. Are you telling me it's a joke?" She waited expectantly, watching his face for any hint. Then it occurred to her. "This is your doing isn't it, or Heaven's at least!" He looked at her sharply. "I'm right, aren't I? Is this a test?"

"You're very perceptive for a human, I sometimes forget."

"Where are they?"

"I cannot tell you."

"Cas, cut the crap," she said.

"They are alive and well Serena," he told her. "That will have to be enough." She sighed angrily.

"Fine, what about this: they don't remember me, so whatever this test is, I can be near them without ruining it." Castiel inclined his head in thought. "Either way, I'm going to track them down. Just make it easier for me."

"I will enquire." He disappeared and she went out to the car. She shoved her bag into her car and walked to Bobby's.

"NC first?" she asked through the window. Bobby nodded and started the engine.

"It'll take a few hours, we should start now."

"I'll follow," Serena stated and went back to her Celica. She pulled out behind Bobby's motor and tried to relax into the drive. But she couldn't. All she could think about was that Dean was somewhere without his memories and the angels were testing him. He was vulnerable, perhaps for the first time since she had met him. Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she struggled to get it out of her tight jeans. She managed it and slid it open.

"Nate?"

"We just got a phone call from someone named Ellen," he informed her.

"Ellen…as in the Roadhouse Ellen?" Dean had mentioned her. She heard Bobby say yes in the background. "And?"

"Seems she's heard of our little mission," Serena could hear the suspicion in his voice. "The demons have tried North Carolina apparently. There was a high concentration of them in that area."

"So we should get to Texas as soon as possible?"

"Yeah, we're changing direction at the end of this road."

"I uh, I'm gonna find Dean," she said suddenly. She hadn't planned on saying it, but as soon as she did she knew it was what she wanted.

"No, you're coming with us, we need you."

"You don't, you and Bobby make a pretty formidable team. And you just have to call me and I'll come as fast as I can. I know what's at stake." She hung up before Nate could say anything else. She did a u-turn on the road and headed back to Bobby's. Now she had to find them.

* * *

Serena threw herself into research. She tried ringing Sam's phone, but a robotic voice told her it was no longer in use, thanks to the angels no doubt. She went as far as calling Ruby, but the demon told her she didn't know anything and she would call back if she did. Serena didn't even know where to start. The US was a big country, and they could be anywhere. What sort of test had the angels set up?

Ruby called her back the next day with a possible lead. There was a Dean and Sam that had moved to a new city two weeks earlier. The exact time they had left Bobby's. Serena had left the motel room before even hanging up. She was in her car and out of the parking lot in record time.

"Serena," a voice said next to her. She recognised it as Castiel's but she still jumped.

"God, Cas, you should wear a collar."

"They have consented that you can be present, but you must not interfere. You cannot tell them who you are, or who they are."

"Okay, I can agree to that," Serena replied. She could keep them safe from afar.

* * *

The next day, Serena threw on a pencil skirt and a pale blue blouse. Every part of the outfit made her want to scream – even the high heels she had to wear. Her jeans mocked her from the motel bed she had thrown them on minutes before. She expected an angel to appear at any minute to tell her they'd changed their minds, so she hurried out of the room and into her car. The drive to the Sandover Bridge and Iron office building was short, lasting only ten minutes. She didn't have a plan; she just needed to see that the boys were alright. A man in front of her held the door open for her and she hurried through it, switching her walk to one that showed she owned the place. She glanced at the list of offices on the board by the elevator doors to find out which floors Dean and Sam were on. After Ruby had told her where they were, Serena had waited to research until she arrived in the city. Dean Smith and Sam Wesson were new employees at the company, in different departments. A minute later she stepped out of the elevator onto floor 22. A short walk led her to Dean's office. She knocked on the door and walked in.

"Dean Smith?" she asked politely.

"The one and only," he replied. He had the same comebacks, but not with the usual attitude. She could tell he didn't recognise her, but she was prepared for that. He was dressed in a much nicer suit than she was used to seeing him in. It looked expensive and tailored. His shirt however was terrible.

"I'm your new assistant," she announced. It seemed the right thing to say. He looked at her in confusion. "Didn't HR tell you?" He shook his head. She smiled. "I didn't think they would. They thought as you were doing so well that you deserved me. I mean an assistant." She giggled slightly. He smiled at her slip up. Of course it was a planned slip up, but he didn't know that. She knew how to flatter people, especially Dean.

"Well, I must thank them," he said. It hurt Serena that he didn't remember all that was between them, and she didn't know if he still worked the same way as the Dean she loved. She smiled at him again and turned to walk out of the door. "Wait, what's your name?"

"Sarah," she told him, she didn't want him to put her appearance together with her calling his cell. "Sarah Bates." He nodded and watched her walk out of the door. According to her new plan, she would watch over them. Castiel had warned her not to get involved any more than that and she wouldn't. Unless it was completely necessary. She went to the elevator to check on Sam, but before she managed to reach it she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Can I help you?" she asked, turning to face whoever it was, half expecting it to be Dean. It wasn't. It was a man about her age; he had short blonde hair and a confident look in his eyes. He was good looking, she thought.

"I was going to ask you that," he replied. "You're new aren't you? I know I'd recognise you." Serena smiled at the cheesy line. Over the man's shoulders she could see Dean. She turned her attention back to the blonde.

"Yes I am," she admitted. "I'm Sarah, Mr Smith's new assistant."

"Will," he told her. "Director of Finance. I know right, I'm a little young for it. But that's just how good I am." Serena forced an impressed laugh. She could just make out Dean watching them, was there a frown on his face.

"Well, Will, I've got to say, I'm impressed," she lied. Dean was definitely frowning now. She wondered if that meant that some part of him remembered her.

"I thought you would be," he nodded. "I was thinking, you'll need someone to show you the ropes. What do you say if I-"

"Sarah," Dean suddenly called. She looked over at him and he beckoned her over.

"Sorry Will," she said to the blonde. "The boss is calling." She smiled at him and walked over to Dean, glad to be away from Will. He led her back into his office.

"Will likes to hit on anything new," he stated, not looking at her. He seemed to realise what he had said and looked up quickly. "Not that you're not-"

"It's okay," she replied holding a hand up to stop him. She grinned properly and saw him smile in return. He had never been able to keep a smile off of his face when she flashed him a grin. "It's sweet; you thought you'd save me. Thank you by the way, he was driving me crazy." He cleared his throat and grabbed a pile of papers off of his desk.

"If you could get me seven copies of these," he asked quickly. She smiled again and took the papers off of him.

"Sure," she replied and walked out of the office. She would have to check on Sam later.

* * *

**Some reviews would make my day :)  
**


	36. Chapter 36

**Okay so this one is set in Its a Terrible Life and has parts of the actual episode in it, the rest is obviously mine.**

**Chapter 36**

* * *

She made it her mission to try and subtly remind Dean of who he was. She asked him what car he drove and had to cover a laugh when he told her it was a Prius – the complete opposite to his Impala. She momentarily wondered where the Impala was, she would have to look into it. Once she even played some Metallica on her computer when he walked passed, even though she wasn't a fan herself. He had looked at her strangely, and told her to turn it down. He sent her out to fetch weird health drinks and to pick up his dry cleaning. Serena knew that this was normal for assistants, but for anyone else she would never have done it. What else could she do to remind him? Throw herself at him? She laughed at the idea. The Dean she knew would love that, but not this Dean. She could picture this Dean's reaction; he would probably call HR or something.

* * *

That night, Sam had more dreams. This time he dreamt of the same guy as usual, but this time there was a brunette woman involved. It wasn't like any of the other women in these dreams – she seemed to be a part of their demon-fighting team. He watched the events unfolding. First he saw the guy and brunette joking about Mexico, then he saw the three of them standing in a big barn, facing each other in a circle as they checked their weapons. He saw himself crouch down and draw the last part of some weird and complicated symbol on the ground. After that it was all a blur, flickering figures appeared close to where they were. The guy was suddenly on the mezzanine level above the main space with a sniper rifle. The fight looked horrible and Sam didn't really understand what was happening. He woke up just as the brunette got stabbed.

* * *

When Serena finally managed to slip away from Dean, she got a different reaction from Sam. Dean had kept her surprisingly busy – fetching salads, mixing health drinks and doing general office work. As she walked into Sam's line of sight, she saw his eyes widen. He recognised her, Serena could tell that much. His eyes widened to the size of teacups when she walked straight towards to him. But did he remember how he knew her? She stopped next to his cubicle and smiled at him.

"Sam isn't it?" she asked. His eyes were still wide, but he nodded. She knew that he would be trying to work out if he had seen her before, so she decided to help him rule out the possibility of passing her at work. "I'm new around here, my boss told me to introduce myself to as many people as possible. Sarah."

"Oh, uh yeah, I'm Sam," he replied, frowning as he tried to place her, but he remembered his manners and smiled. He glanced over her shoulder. "That's Ian." Ian turned around at the sound of his name and grinned when he saw Serena.

"Hello there," he greeted.

"Hey," Serena returned. "Nice to meet you." She turned back to Sam. She smiled apologetically "I lied. I actually have a silly I.T. question for you... I can't sign in to the company email. It was fine this morning..." Sam laughed.

"Try turning your computer off and on again. Should work fine then." Serena smiled her thanks.

"Thanks Sam, you're a hero!" She smiled at him and walked off. The meeting had informed Serena of how much Sam suspected, which understandably was much more than Dean. Sam had always been more sensitive to these things and knowing how Dean had been feeling when they last saw each other, wanting to disappear, she was not surprised that Sam felt things were wrong.

* * *

As soon as Serena had walked away, Ian slid his chair over to Sam. His eyes had been glued onto the retreating brunette.

"Wow, I gotta get me some of that," he said. Sam laughed half heartedly. Ian slapped his hand on Sam's shoulder. "You're feeling it too, I can tell." Sam rolled his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure people don't talk like that Ian," he said. "She looks so-"

"Hot?" Ian supplied.

"I was gonna go with 'familiar'."

"Riiiight," he said. "Your dream woman maybe? Oh no, your dreams are interesting in a different way!" Sam stayed silent, his eyes lost focus. Was Ian right? There was a woman in his dreams, but her face was never clear. If it was her, then things were getting even weirder than he had thought. After recognising Dean Smith (he had looked up his name after meeting him in the elevator) as the man in his dreams...and now this woman, Sam felt he was going crazy.

* * *

Serena worked undercover for just under a week before the strange things started to happen. She turned up for work and saw an ambulance outside of the Sandover building. As always, she headed straight for what was happening. She saw the coroner wheeling out a body. She hurried over to him and asked what had happened. She rolled her eyes as he refused to tell her anything. The office was alive with gossip and when she reached her desk another assistant came over to her and filled her in - a 59-year-old man had committed suicide right in the building last night. He had put his head in the microwave. Will joined in their conversation. Serena shook her head when Will elaborated, acting as horrified and upset as she could manage. Was this the real test from the angels? Or was it a horrible coincidence? As soon as Will and the other assistant went back to their desks, Serena knocked on Dean's office door. He looked up and gestured for her to enter.

"I just heard what happened," Serena began. "It's awful." Dean nodded in agreement.

"Yeah and the guy was meant to retire in 2 weeks."

"What," Serena asked. So he had already started researching. The hunter was still there.

"I know. Who does that?" Serena sat down on one of the seats, deciding to play up to it.

"I – it's just so, so..." she trailed off, wiping at the corner of her eyes. She decided this Dean would react just as awkwardly, but she hoped he would tell her more. Dean stood up and moved around to her side of the desk.

"Hey, hey it's okay. Did you know him?" Serena shook her head slightly.

"It's just the idea, you know? Was it definitely suicide?"

"The guy jammed his head in a microwave..." Serena pulled a face. "Sorry, I meant, the way he died. They won't treat it as suspicious. Do you want to take the rest of the day off?" Serena shook her head, dabbed at the corner of her eyes and left the room. She went to her desk and sat down.

The next day, Dean summoned Serena into his office and asked her to call a member of Tech Support. She was surprised to find that he wanted to talk to Ian. Dean wouldn't say why he wanted Ian to come to his office and Serena couldn't push it without crossing the strict rules of the office. She went over to her desk and searched for Ian's extension number. She dialled it and waited.

"Tech Support, this is Ian."

"Hey, Ian, it's Sarah. Could you come up to 2208?"

"Be right up." Serena frowned but put the phone down. His tone was very different from when she had met him, and she had expected him to hit on her. She was glad that he hadn't but she would have to keep an eye on him.

* * *

At the same time floors below, Sam rolled on his chair towards where Ian's desk was.

"Hey, why would someone kill themselves two weeks before they were supposed to retire? I mean Paul was two weeks from freedom. He should have been happy, right?"

"I don't have time for this Sam," Ian replied, in an annoyed tone.

"That's very funny," Sam laughed. His smiled died as he saw Ian was serious. "What's with you?"

"I'm working, it's important."

"HR bust your balls or something? You're wearing the shirt." Sam smiled again. "Did you shave?" Ian ignored him and answered his phone.

"Tech support this is Ian. Be right up." He glanced at Sam. "Got to go up to 22, got to speak to a manager" He stood up, adjusted his trousers and left, leaving a very confused Sam.

* * *

Five minutes later, Ian appeared out of the elevator. Serena stood up and greeted him. His mannerisms were completely different, he had seemed so relaxed and carefree before, whereas now he was tense, worried.

"Ian, great, are you okay?" she asked. He looked at her.

"I'm fine," he said, his voice shaky. Serena nodded.

"Mr Smith is just through here," she led him to the door and knocked. She opened the door when she heard Dean's voice.

"He's here," she announced and gestured for Ian to go in. Serena lurked near the door, pretending to be studying a poster.

"Hi, Ian is it? Yeah come on in," Dean greeted. Ian stepped nervously into the room. "Yesterday you filled out a 445-T and, no problem, just a few errors when we did your switch to Vista. So I'm sure you're used to filling out the dash-Rs, am I right?" Ian's face fell.

"Oh no." His tone worried Serena. Her spider sense was tingling – something was wrong.

"No, no it's fine. It's fine." Dean soothed quickly. "I just need you to redo one today so I can get the show on the road with the invoicing." Serena moved to the filling cabinet, she was still close enough to hear.

"Oh, my god," Ian said.

"No its fine, Re-file it and we're square."

"It affected profits, I screwed up. I am so sorry. I – How could I do that?" Serena heard Ian saying from inside. "I failed Sandover." Serena frowned. That really didn't fit with her impression of Ian. She rushed to the door of Dean's office. Dean's worried gaze met hers briefly.

"Why don't you sit down, Ian?" Dean asked, trying to control the situation. Ian backed out of the room and into Serena. He jumped away from her and ran out of the door.

"Ian? Ian, hey?" Dean called. Serena looked at him in question. Dean shrugged and followed him. Serena gave it a few seconds and then went in the same direction, noticing they had gone into the men's room. She sighed and waited outside.

* * *

"Ian hey just chill out man, okay?" Dean said, walking into the men's toilets. Ian was staring at his own reflection, muttering to himself. Dean breathed out and was confused when he could see his own breath. That shouldn't be right, he thought. It was always warm in the Sandover building. The taps all started running, as did the soap.

"Ian hey maybe we should get out of here, huh? Come on" Ian didn't respond at all. "Ian?" The soap was falling onto the floor now. "Look at me!" Ian did, reached into his pocket, pulled out a pencil and stabbed himself in the neck. Dean rushed to his side, looked up and saw the reflection of a man in one of the silver cubicle doors. When he turned to see who was there, he saw no one.

"Somebody help me!" Dean shouted. Serena, who had been lurking outside the toilets, pushed open the door and took in the scene. She rushed over to Ian and saw that he was already dead.

"It's okay, Dean," she soothed. "Wait here, I'll call 911." She hurried out of the room, to her desk and called for a paramedic.

* * *

"No, I followed him into the bathroom," Dean explained to the cops, Serena was standing next to him, trying to offer support. "He was – he was standing there in front of the mirror and then-" he looked over and saw Sam was nearby. They shared a long look before the cop prompted him. It didn't pass Serena by. "And then he stabbed himself in the neck. I'm sorry, that's..." he trailed off. She led him back to his office and mixed him one of his health drinks.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," she said quietly. His eyes flew to hers and widened. "Dean, what is it?"

"Nothing, I didn't see anything. Apart from Ian." Serena nodded sadly and sat in one of the chairs. "Ghosts aren't even real." He was jittery. Serena could tell he had seen something. A ghost would make sense. She would research into it when she had a minute.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nothing to talk about," Dean stated. That was her Dean. She nodded and left the office. There was a few filing jobs she had to do, so she started doing that. Office work was so boring, she longed to stretch her legs. After a while she heard footsteps stop in front of her desk. She looked up and saw it was Sam.

"Hey Sam, how are holding up?" Sam shrugged slightly.

"It feels like a nightmare. I mean it was Ian. He was so relaxed...I mean before today." Serena stood up and rested a hand on his arm.

"You couldn't have known, Sam," she said, knowing how his mind worked. Sam looked at her in confusion, swallowed a few times and gestured at Dean's office.

"Is he there?"

"Sure, just go right in," she smiled at his back. They were definitely remembering.

"Come on in, shut the door," she heard Dean say. Serena frowned, she had wanted to hear what they talked about, but she couldn't lurk outside the closed door without attracting attention.

While they were in there, she did some quick researching, pulling up any news articles on the history of Sandover. It wasn't hard; P.T. Sandover himself had died in the building. From the way the articles described him, he was the perfect candidate for ghosthood. She decided to hack into Paul and Ian's email accounts and phone records to see if they had anything in common. Bingo – they had both received emails from H.R. calling them up to room 1444.

"But H.R. is on the 7th floor," she whispered. After digging a little deeper, she realised that room was significant because it had been Sandover's office. It all made sense.

The door to Dean's office opened after 20 minutes and Sam and Dean both appeared looking on edge. Serena looked up at them expectantly. It made her feel better to see them standing together.

"Uh, Sarah. Can you move my conference call to tomorrow? I, uh, there's something we, I mean I have to do."

"Sure," Serena said, smiling at them both. "Go do what you need to do." Sam and Dean shared a confused look but left.

* * *

She got up to follow them to room 1444, but Mr Adler appeared in the doorway and asked her lots of questions, and then sent her home for the night. She growled as she packed her things into her handbag. What was she supposed to do now? She didn't want to leave them to it. But Mr Adler stood and watched her. The penny dropped.

"So which one are you?" she asked, not looking at him.

"Excuse me?" he replied.

"I asked which angel you were. You clearly don't want me to follow Dean."

"I don't know what you are...you shouldn't be following your Mr Smith."

"Drop the act. Are you Michael? Gabriel? That annoying one in Charmed?" He sighed.

"Go home Serena, or you'll wake up in Mexico." Serena rolled her eyes.

* * *

She did leave the building, but two hours later, she stopped off at Dean's apartment. She rang the doorbell and a confused Dean answered.

"I came to check you were okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Dean countered, confirming to Serena that he had found out something about the real world.

"Oh I don't know, seeing someone kill themselves is supposed to be traumatic." Dean nodded. Serena pushed her way into the apartment and saw Sam sitting at the kitchen table with a laptop in front of him.

"Oh hey Sam," she greeted. "How are you doing? I know Ian was a friend."

"Um, yeah I'm okay, it was...a shock." Serena almost smiled before remembering that would be inappropriate. They were both terrible at covering things up.

"Good." She turned back to Dean.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Look, Sarah, I'm flattered but you coming onto me, it's inappropriate." Serena pulled a confused face.

"Wait, Sarah," Sam said suddenly. "What do you think about ghosts?" Now that was tempting.

"What like Casper?" she forced a laugh. "Come on Sam, they're not real. Next you'll be asking me about vampires." She laughed again and looked at Dean, not missing Sam's eyes widening again. "I'll go then. See you both at work." And she left.

"She knows something," Sam said when she had gone.

"Bit of an airhead."

"No, it's like she knew I had dreamt of them as well."

"Let's just focus on this, hey?"

* * *

**More to follow soon!  
**


	37. Chapter 37

**As with the last chapter, some of it is taken from the actual show...  
**

**Chapter 37**

* * *

Sam and Dean were seated in Dean's office. They had just finished fighting P.T Sandover's ghost. Dean fetched the first aid box from his cupboard and laid it on the desk. He pulled out a cotton pad and held it to his forehead.

"okay confession," Sam said, breaking the momentary silence. "You remember those dreams I was talking about, you know with the ghosts?"

"Yeah?" Dean replied, looking over at him.

"I was fighting them..."

"Okay,"

"With you," Sam finished, watching Dean's face closely. "And your assistant."

"Sarah? You kidding me?"

"No, I don't know man, I think it was her." Dean didn't know what to say.

"Okay."

"We were these, like hunters and we were friends, more like brothers really. And you and Sarah...you seemed together. I mean what if that's who we really are? You saw us back there working together. The ghost was scrambling people's brains. What if it had scrambled ours?"

"That's insane," Dean said, standing up.

"Is it?" Sam countered. "Think about it for just one second. What if we think this is our life, but it's not?"

"Hey, man the ghost is dead. We're still standing. I mean, I'm sorry but-"

"Look all I know is, this isn't who we're supposed to be," Sam argued, standing up and facing Dean.

"No, I'm Dean Smith, okay? Director of Sales and Marketing. I went to Stanford. My father's name is Bob, my mother Ellen, and my sister is Jo."

"When's the last time you talked to them? To any of them? I haven't spoken to my sister, Serena in years."

"Okay, you're upset. Upset, confused..."

"Yeah I only moved here because I broke up with my fiancée Madison. But I called her and I got a damn animal hospital."

"Okay, what are you saying?"

"Are you trying to say that my family isn't real? Huh? That we've been injected with fake memories? Come on!"

"All I know is, I got this feeling in my gut. And I know, I know that deep down, you gotta be feeling it too! We're supposed to be something else. You're not just some corporate douche bag. This isn't you." Dean looked at him wryly. "I know you."

"Know me?" Dean replied incredulously. "You don't know me, pal." Sam looked hurt, he stared at Dean. "You should go." Sam stayed still for a few seconds and slowly walked away with his head down. The conversation had taken a wrong turn somewhere. Dean looked confused and upset as he went to the window.

* * *

The next day, Serena rushed into work. She had gone to the Sandover building in the early hours of the morning to assess whether Sam and Dean had finished the case. She had had to climb the stairs to the room 1444, because the elevator hadn't been working. When she had found nothing strange there, she went up to Dean's office to see if they had left any clues. Breathing heavily, she had walked through the door to the main lobby of floor 22, recognising instantly that something had gone down there. There had been broken glass on the floor, a pair of burnt looking leather gloves nearby and pictures had been smashed. The smell of the burnt leather had assaulted her nostrils. Knowing she couldn't leave the lobby like that, she had picked up the gloves and gone to find a brush and dustpan to clean up the broken glass. It hadn't taken her long to make the place look presentable and when she was done, she had gone into Dean's office and rooted around. The first aid box had been casually lying on Dean's desk. Apart from that, there was nothing amiss.

The elevator was working this morning, but another coroners van had been parked on the curb outside. This worried Serena immensely. Had she missed something last night? Had Dean and Sam been hurt elsewhere in the building? She cursed herself silently; she should have been more thorough. She went up to floor 22, fearful at what she might find. If Dean wasn't there, what did that mean?

When she got to Dean's office she breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're okay," she greeted. Dean looked up at her from his desk. He looked like he had been deep in thought. He frowned.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He remembered Sam had mentioned she had been in his dreams as well.

"I just had a bad feeling, you know," she lied. "Have you seen Sam? Is he okay?" Dean put down the papers he had been holding and looked at her squarely.

"No I haven't, why would you think I had?" Serena shrugged and smiled a vacant smile.

"You didn't have a dream did you?" It was Serena's turn to frown.

"What a strange question! No, I don't ever remember dreams. I just wondered, cos when I left last night he was over." There was a knock at the door, and Serena turned around to see 'Mr Adler' there.

"Got a minute?" Mr Adler asked.

"Sure, of course," Dean replied. Serena smiled at Dean, turned her back on him and glared at the man in the doorway as she left.

"How are you feeling Dean?"

"Uh, great," Dean replied.

"You look a little tired," Mr Adler commented, shutting the door. "Been working hard, I gather."

"Yeah," Dean scoffed.

"Don't be modest, I hear everything. And I'm pleased with what I'm hearing. That's why it's important to me that you're happy." He pulled out a pen from the inside of his jacket, picked up a piece of paper from Dean's desk and started writing. He slid it towards Dean. "How's that for a bonus?" Dean looked at him in confusion as he reached for the paper.

"That's very generous," he commented.

"Purely selfish," Mr Adler replied. "Wanna make sure you're not going anywhere."

"Wow," Dean said, staring at the paper. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. You are Sandover material, son. Real go-getter. Carving your own way."

"Well thanks I try."

"I see big things in your future. Maybe even Senior BP, Eastern Great Lakes Division." Dean looked overwhelmed. "Don't get me wrong, you'll have to work for it. Seven days a week, lunch at your desk. But in eight to 10 short years, that could be you." Dean's expression said that wasn't as appealing as it would have been a few days ago.

"Uh, well thank you. Thank you, sir" he said, taking off his earpiece. "It's...But I am giving my notice." He slid the paper back towards Mr Adler. Mr Adler frowned in surprise.

"This is a joke. You're kidding me right?" He leant forward.

"No, I've... I recently, very recently realised that I have some other work I have to do. It's very important to me."

"Other work? Another company?" Mr Adler asked, clearly suspicious.

"No – it's very hard to explain. It's just that this...this is... it's just... It's not who I'm supposed to be." By the end of the sentence, Dean sounded more sure of himself. Mr Adler grinned at him.

"What?"

"Dean, Dean, Dean," he said. "Finally." He stood up and reached over to Dean, touching two fingers to his forehead. Dean looked around the room instantly.

"The hell?" He said allowed. All his memories had come flooding back to him. He looked own. "Why am I wearing a tie? My god, am I hungry." Mr Adler laughed.

"Welcome back," he said, still standing. Dean looked very confused. He began to stand up.

"Wait. Did I-" He took a step back. "Did I just get touched by an... you're an angel aren't you?"

"I'm Zachariah." He crossed to the door, looked through the glass panel to the side and gestured for Serena to come into the room. Serena hurried through the door.

"Oh great. That's all I need is another one of you guys," Dean snapped. Serena crossed over to him and hugged him tightly.

"You're back!"

"I'm back," Dean replied, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm hardly another one, Dean. I'm Castiel's superior." Dean and Serena pulled apart and looked at each other. Castiel's superior? "Believe me, I had no interest in popping here into one of these smelly things." They both knew he meant a meat-suit. "But after the unfortunate situation with Uriel...I found it necessary for a visit. Get my ducks in a row."

"I am not one of your ducks," Dean snapped, walking around the desk to face the angel.

"Starting with your attitude."

"Oh, so, what? This was all some sort of lesson? Is that what you're telling me? Very creative!"

"You should see my decoupage," Zachariah joked.

"Gross. No thank you," Dean replied. Serena rolled her eyes at him.

"Not that, buddy," she interjected. Dean frowned.

"So what? I'm just hallucinating all this? Is that it?"

"Not at all. It's a real place, real haunting. Just plunked you in the middle without the benefit of your memories."

"Just to shake things up? So you can have fun watching us run around like ass clowns in monkey suits?"

"To prove to you that the path you're on is truly in your blood. You're a hunter. Not because your dad made you, not because god called you back from hell, but because it is what you are. And you love it. You find your way to it in the dark and you're miserable without it. We've been more than fair Dean. Serena, here, found you somehow. We let her keep an eye on you as long as she didn't interfere." He looked at Serena, she smiled apologetically at him. "Dean, let's be real here. You're good at this. You'll be successful, you will stop it."

"Stop what?" Dean demanded. "The apocalypse, huh? Lucifer? What? Be specific, man!"

"You'll do everything you're destined to do. All of it." Dean looked at him as if he was mad. "But I know, I know. You're not strong enough. You're scared. You've got daddy issues. You can't do it. Right?" Serena took a step towards him, glaring.

"How dare you," she snapped. Dean gestured for her to stop.

"Angel or not, I will stab you in your face," Dean stated coldly. Zachariah only smiled.

"All I'm saying is...it's how you look at it. Most folks live and die without moving more than the dirt it takes to bury them. You get to change things. You both do. Save people, maybe even the world." Dean turned away from the angel. "All the while you drive a classic car and fornicate with women." Serena raised an eyebrow. "This isn't a curse, it's a gift. So for god's sake Dean, quit whining about it." Dean turned back to him. "Look around. There are plenty of fates worse than yours."

"So are you with me?" Zachariah asked. "You wanna go steam yourself another latte?" Dean scoffed. "Or are you ready to stand up and be who your really are?" And he was gone. Serena and Dean stood in silence for a few minutes, then Serena crossed to him and took his hand. She pulled gently and they left the office together. She noticed a few looks from random office people at their joint hands. Will even came over to them.

"Oh Sarah, you're breaking my heart," he joked at her. "I thought we had a connection."

"Will," Serena said. "The only connection we have is this." She drew back her hand and punched him. Dean looked at her in amazement before they hurried down the stairs.

"What did you do that for?"

"I've been dying to do that for 2 weeks," Serena stated. "Smarmy bastard." They made a stop on Sam's floor and found out that he'd walked out about an hour before. Serena pulled out her phone as soon as they left the Sandover building and dialled his number.

"Hello?"

"Sam, it's Serena, please tell me you know me."

"Serena? Of course. What the hell is going on?" Sam demanded.

"I'll explain it all. I have Dean. Meet us at the motel just outside town. Fifteen minutes. Room 14." She hung up and led Dean to where her Celica was parked. They jumped into it and Serena sped off. Dean pulled off his tie and undid the top button of his shirt.

"I hate these things," he muttered. Serena shot him a look.

"That's nothing," She gestured to her outfit. "Two weeks of pencil skirts and high heels. You owe me."

Ten minutes later, they walked through the door of her motel room. Dean headed straight into the shower. Serena changed out of her office clothes and pulled on her jeans and a loose t-shirt. She was just tying up her shoe laces when Sam entered the room. Serena stood up and hugged him.

"Thank god," she said. "Do you remember anything?" Sam nodded.

"All of it. Why Sarah?" He asked her, perching on the edge of the bed. She shrugged.

"I didn't want to trigger your memory too much. Cas told me I couldn't interfere."

"Cas was involved? Wait, this was heavens fault?" Serena nodded, running a hand through her hair.

"Dean's boss was an angel, I don't know which one. He wouldn't tell me. It was a test."

"Did we pass? Where is Dean?" At that moment, Dean walked out of the en suite. He was dressed in his suit again as he had no other clothes. He looked at Sam. They shared a long look. Serena knew those looks conveyed everything they were feeling.

"Do you remember where the Impala is?"

"It's outside a diner about 20 minutes away," Dean stated. He wasn't sure how he knew that, but knew it was correct. Serena nodded and started throwing her things into a bag.

"It was Zachariah," Dean added. "I heard you talking. Zachariah set up this whole thing."

"What was the test? I don't understand," Sam replied.

"I don't know," Dean lied. Serena looked up at him and saw from his expression that he didn't want Sam to know it was just for the older Winchester. Serena dipped her head and packed the last things into her bag. She stood up.

"Let's go get her then," she said, referring to the Impala.

* * *

**Review! Review! Review!  
**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

* * *

About two weeks after they left Sandover Bridge and Iron, the three hunters found a run of the mill haunting case to look into. Sam and Dean had gone to the building in question to interview tenants. Serena had decided to stay at their motel room and look for reasons of a haunting as their initial search had failed to find anything.

An hour later, Serena received one of the strangest calls from Dean she had ever had. She picked up on the third ring and started to tell him she hadn't found anything new, but he cut her off.

"We're characters in a book series," he stated. He had left Sam in the store and gone outside to fill her in. Serena laughed and then recognised his tone.

"You're serious."

"Very," Dean said. "There's a series called Supernatural, it's our lives, Serena. Sam's and mine. Down to every freakin' detail."

"I don't understand, where did you find this?" Serena questioned.

"The building we came to look round has a comic book store," Dean explained. "We went in there, did our thing and he accused us of larping-"

"Larping? What the hell is that?"

"Live action something," Dean said. "He showed us the books. Sam's just getting them all now."

"I'll be there in 5," Serena said, standing up from the chair she had been sitting in.

"We're heading back," Dean told her. Serena sat back down and closed her phone. While she waited she typed Supernatural into a search engine. Her eyes widened as she read the first few results. There were so many books in the series. She clicked on the preview option of one called Houses of the Holy and read an excerpt. If it was realistic, Serena couldn't tell – the boys had never told her about a hunt like this. She would have to ask them.

* * *

"This is freaking insane," Dean said, as he read Route 666 on one of the motel beds. "How does this guy know all this stuff?"

"You got me," Sam replied, from the seat Serena had vacated. She had left the search results on the screen and Sam was now flicking through them.

"Everything is in here. I mean everything. From the racist truck to me having sex. I'm full frontal here, dude."

"What? Gimme." Serena asked, looking up from another volume. She reached for the book, but Dean moved it out of her way. She frowned and remembered it was two years before she had met them. Sam pulled a face at what his brother had said.

"How come we haven't heard of them before?"

"That's what happens when you don't google yourself," Serena joked.

"They were pretty obscure," Sam replied. "I mean zero circulation. Started in '05, publisher put out a couple dozen before going bankrupt." Dean moved to sit in the chair next to his brother. Serena watched from the bed. "The last one No Rest for the Wicked ends with you going to hell."

"Well I reiterate: Freaking insane," Dean commented. Serena stood up.

"Hang on, I'm trying to get my head around this. Dean going to hell wasn't even a year ago, we sure as hell didn't tell anyone about it. How is it in a book?" The Winchesters both shrugged. Dean went back to looking at the screen.

"Hey check it out, there's actually fans. Not many of them, but still. You read this?" He asked Sam.

"Yeah."

"For fans, they sure do complain a lot," Dean commented. "Simpatico says: 'The demon story line is trite, clichéd and overall craptastic'. Yeah well screw you, Simpatico, we lived it." Sam laughed.

"Yeah, well keep on reading. It gets better." Dean did and then he glanced over at Serena.

"They did not like you!" Serena was at his side instantly, peering at the screen.

"What did they say?"

"Here's one: 'the character Serena is unnecessary, Ruby was right: she is just a distraction from the main story. Get rid of her."

"Well JennyWinchester666," Serena said, reading the user name. "At least I'm not obsessing over fictional characters." Dean smirked and rubbed her arm, knowing she was offended.

"There are Sam Girls and Dean Girls and...What's a slash fan?" Serena tipped her head back and laughed before pulling a disgusted face.

"As in...Sam-slash-Dean," Sam wrinkled his nose. "Together." It took a few seconds for Dean to understand.

"Like 'together' together?"

"Yeah," Sam and Serena said at the same time. Dean looked horrified.

"They do know we're brothers, right?"

"Doesn't seem to matter to them," Sam told him.

"Oh come on, that's just sick."

"Its fiction to them, remember," Serena elaborated.

"We gotta find this Carver Edlund."

"That might not be so easy," Sam replied.

"No tax records, no known address. Looks like Carver Edlund is a pen name."

"I hate it when they do that," Serena moaned. "It doesn't make the job any more of a riot." Dean smiled.

"Somebody's gotta know who he is," he added. Serena looked at the book in her hand and flicked to the information page.

"What about the publisher?" Serena said after a few seconds, she pointed to the line she had just read. Sam and Dean smiled.

* * *

Half an hour later, Sam, Dean and Serena were standing inside the publisher's house. Serena judged her to be quite odd – her hair was black and blonde, reminding her of a skunk. She nudged Dean and gestured to the framed picture on the wall. It was the same picture as the front cover of the first book. Dean pulled a face.

"So you published the Supernatural books?" Sam asked.

"Yup. Yeah. Gosh these books," The publisher replied. Serena rolled her eyes at the woman's tone. "You know they never really got the attention they deserved."

"Obsessed," Serena mouthed to Dean as the publisher turned her back on them.

"All anyone wants to read anymore is that romance crap. You know, Dr. Sexy M.D. I mean it did get a bit like that towards the end with the Dean/Serena thing, but it still had the magic there, you know?" She laughed; Serena forced herself to join in.

"Right," Dean agreed, keeping his tone neutral.

"Well we're hoping that our article can shine a light on an underappreciated series."

"Yeah, if we got a little bit of good press..." the publisher gushed. "...then maybe we could start publishing again." Serena's eyes widened.

"No, no no," Dean said quickly. "God, no." The woman frowned. "I mean, why would you wanna do that? You know, it's such a complete series what with Dean going to hell and all." Serena smiled at his quick comeback.

"Oh, my god. That was one of my favourite ones..."

"It wasn't mine," Serena muttered. The publisher looked up at her sharply.

"I'm sorry, we didn't introduce Sarah, she's our intern," Sam said quickly. Serena smiled and waved her slightly.

"I just mean... was so...painful, you know?" Serena added.

"Yes, but that's what made it! Dean was so strong and sad and brave," she was gushing still. "And Sam...I mean the best parts are when they cry." Dean pulled another face. "You know, like in Heart, when Sam had to kill Madison, the first woman since Jessica he had really loved." Dean and Sam shared a look. "And in Home when Dean had to call John and ask him for help."

"What the-" Dean mouthed. She was clearly insane.

"Gosh," the woman said, tearing up. "If only real men were so open and in touch with their feelings."

"You're telling me," Serena added. Dean shot her a look and she grinned.

"Real men?" Dean repeated.

"I mean, no offense. But how often do you cry like that?" Serena snorted.

"Oh you'd be surprised," she said.

"Well right now, I'm crying on the inside," Dean stated.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" They had pushed it too far.

"Lady, this whole thing is funny," Dean replied.

"How do I know you two are legit," she asked, her tone had changed. It was challenging.

"Oh, trust me," Dean said, stepping forward as the publisher went to sit at her desk. "We, uh, we're legit."

"Well, I don't want any smart-ass article making fun of my boys."

"No, no, no never," Sam and Dean both said.

"We are actually big fans," Sam lied.

"Huge fans," Serena added.

"You've read the books?"

"Oh cover to cover," it was Deans turn to lie.

"What's the year and model of the car?"

"1967 Chevy Impala," Dean answered, smiling affectionately.

"What's May 2nd?"

"That's my- Sam's birthday," he answered.

"January 24th is Deans," Dean added. "4th December is Serena's."

"You remembered," Serena said, both happy and surprised.

"Sam's score on the LSAT?" They all looked at each other. Sam looked like he was struggling to remember. Serena wasn't surprised at that – it had been a different life.

"One...seventy four?"

"Dean's favorite song?"

"It's a tie," Dean said confidently. "Between Zep's Rambling Man and Travelling Riverside Blues."

"Just one more: Serena's favorite color." The boys looked at Serena expectantly.

"Red," she answered. "Come on, it's in the one after Ruby and Serena first come face to face! Great chapter!"

"Okay, okay. What did you want to know?" The publisher looked happy to talk to them again.

"What is Carver Edlund's real name?" Sam asked.

"Oh no, no sorry I can't do that."

"We just want to talk to him," Sam pleaded. "Get the Supernatural story in his own words."

"He's very private, just like Salinger." Serena rolled her eyes at the comparison.

"Please. Like I said we are..." Sam was fumbling with the neck of his shirt. Serena and Dean watched him, trying to work out what he was planning. "...big fans." He pulled his shirt collar aside to reveal the tattoo. Dean sighed and copied his brother.

"Awesome," The publisher said, looking a bit too excited. She looked over at Serena expectantly.

"Hey, Serena doesn't have one, why would I?" The publisher nodded at that.

"One sec, you know what?" She stood up and pulled down her trousers a little, revealing a smaller tattoo of the same design.

"Wow, you are a fan," Dean said in an appreciative voice. Serena glared at her and covered Dean's eyes.

"His name is Chuck Shirley and he's a genius. Don't piss him off."

* * *

It was like an oven in the Impala, even with all the windows down. Serena fanned herself with a piece of cardboard she had found in the backseat. Not that it helped. She sat waiting for Dean to come out of the toilets. Dean wanted to make sure the Impala had a full tank before they set off again. Serena had to leave soon to meet her uncle and Bobby. Dean had suggested he and Sam go as well, but Serena knew they had enough on their plates with the mysterious Chuck Shirley.

Things had changed since they had been reunited. Whereas before Dean went to hell, the two of them had been loath to hunt separately, now they both realised that they had separate fights ahead of them, and the paths towards these fights did not lie in the same direction. It didn't mean that either one was happy about it.

Serena was more than freaked out by the fact that there was a series of books about the Winchesters, and that she featured in many of them. She looked down at the book that Dean had bought to show her. It was called Day Dreamer. She had flicked through it on the way to the gas station. It didn't make sense to her. It was about her getting lost in her past and Dean saving her. The event had only happened a year ago. But it was told exactly how she remembered it. She opened the book at random and read a paragraph. It was near the end. In the paragraph, it showed her thinking about her uncle leaving her abruptly. It was only now that she knew the reason he had.

Dean appeared at the door and opened it up, sliding in behind the steering wheel. He looked over at her and passed her a bag of sweets. She put the book down and laughed at his present.

"Just what my teeth need," she said, opening the packet. He picked up the book she had just discarded and flicked through it before taking a closer look at the front cover. "Don't even get me started on that!" Serena snapped, making Dean chuckle.

"Hey, you look hot, I look queer." The illustration showed 'Dean' in an open leather waistcoat showing off a ripped stomach and muscled arms, he had a shot gun in one hand, and was leant against the Impala. 'Sam' stood behind the Impala in a tight white tank top with a thick book held to his chest. But what really made Serena angry was the depiction of herself. She stood at the front of the illustration, waist-length blonde hair blowing away from her face. She wore a ripped t-shirt, which was tight across huge breasts, and exposed a toned stomach with tight jeans to finish off. In the reflection of the window in the building to the side of her was what was supposed to be her younger self.

"For someone who manages to know every detail of our lives, down to our very thoughts, you'd think they'd get our appearances a bit closer," she replied in disgust, but she smiled at Dean's comment. The picture did make him look pretty queer.

"Come on, let's get Sam and go see Chucky dearest."

* * *

An hour later, the three of them walked up to a small house. None of them knew what to expect. Dean had a gun in the back of his jeans, just in case. Sam rung the doorbell and they waited. Serena could just make out someone walking towards the door.

"You Chuck Shirley?" Dean asked when the door opened. The man was shorter than Dean, with a scruffy beard. He wore a dressing gown. Over all, Serena thought, his appearance suited the ramshackle house.

"The Chuck Shirley who wrote the Supernatural books?"

"Maybe, why?" He also looked like he'd just woken up.

"I'm Dean, this is Sam and Serena. The Dean and Sam you've been writing about.

"Yeah," Chuck said, clearly not believing him. He shut the door. Dean rang the doorbell again. Chuck opened the door.

"Look I appreciate your enthusiasm. Really I do. It's always nice to hear from the fans. But for your own good, I strongly suggest you get a life." Dean and Sam frowned at each other. He went to shut the door again, but Dean stopped him.

"See here's the thing. We have a life. You've been using it to write your books." They forced their way into the house, Serena following close behind.

"Wait a minute this isn't funny."

"Damn straight, it's not funny."

"Look, we just wanna know how you're doing it," Sam said, his tone more reasonable than Dean's.

"I'm not doing anything," Chuck replied. For some reason, Serena believed he thought that.

"Are you a hunter?" Dean demanded.

"No, I'm a writer!"

"Then how do you know so much about demons and tulpas and changelings?" Dean stepped towards him threateningly and with every step he took, Chuck took one back. He tripped and fell onto the sofa.

"Is this some kind of Misery thing," Serena frowned, that film was horrible. "Oh god it is isn't it. It's a Misery thing."

"It's not a Misery thing, we're not fans," Dean snapped, Serena laid a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Well then what do you want?"

"I'm Sam and that's Dean."

"Sam and Dean are fictional characters. I made them up, they're not real!" Chuck told them. He sounded panicky.

"I have an idea," Serena said, speaking for the first time. They looked at her expectantly. "Follow me." She led them out to the Impala and opened the trunk. Chuck's eyes widened when he saw the cache of weapons.

"Are those real guns?"

"Yup," Dean informed him. "This is real rock salt, these are real fake Ids." He picked one up at random. It was Serena's FBI badge. Chuck looked impressed.

"I gotta hand it to you guys. You really are my number one fans. That's awesome. So there's – I think I've got some posters in the house." He turned and started back towards it.

"Chuck stop," Dean commanded.

"Wait, please don't hurt me."

"How much do you know? Do you know about the angels? Or Lilith breaking the seals? About Serena's uncle?"

"Wait a minute, how do you know about that?" Chuck asked, looking at them strangely.

"The question is how do you?" Dean said, his tone aggressive.

"Because I wrote it!"

"You kept writing?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Even after the publisher went bankrupt. But those books never came out."

"Isn't that proof enough?" Serena questioned.

"Okay, wait," Chuck said, smiling again. "This is some kind of joke, right? Did Phil put you up to this?"

"Oh for god's sake," Serena snapped.

"Well nice to meet you. I'm Dean Winchester and this is my brother, Sam."

"And I'm Serena Bates."

"Last names were never in the books. I never told anybody that. I never even wrote it down."

* * *

Not long after, Serena was getting ready to drive to Texas to meet her uncle. Serena kissed Dean lightly on the cheek. They were standing outside the motel saying goodbye.

"Sure you can handle whatever's happening here?"

"I knew you'd say that," Dean said lightly, holding up the latest copy of Chuck's story. "I'm looking forward to the next part!" She slapped his arm, lightly this time.

"What happens next then?"

"Well, it starts like this," he told her, kissing her passionately. He pulled away and looked her squarely in the eyes.

"So far so good," Serena replied breathlessly. Dean smirked at her. "But I have to go. I need to get there by sundown." Dean nodded. "Let me know how it goes?"

"Sure," he promised. "You're not missing out. Sam wants to do the laundry. Serena giggled.

"I'll call you when I'm done," she said, turning to her car.

* * *

**Review!**


	39. Chapter 39

**So we're still in the middle of The Monster at the End of the Book and will move on to the next episode towards the end. Thanks for the review, really appreciate them, glad you're enoying it and I promise I won't leave it a year again!  
**

**Chapter 39**

* * *

She pulled up in front of the address Bobby had given her and got out of the car. The address was for a rented house. They had obviously thought it worth the money if they were staying in the area for as long as they had. She walked up the little path leading to the house and knocked on the door, noticing a hoodoo quincunx etched into the door frame. Bobby appeared at the door, saw it was her and opened it quickly. She stepped over the salt line and closed the door behind her.

"Had some trouble?" She asked him, gesturing to all the defences. They seemed to be taking every precaution she knew about.

"The demons will be here any day, as soon as Lilith gets wind of it," Bobby told her. "Better to be safe than dead." Serena nodded her agreement. She put her backpack down on the kitchen work top and turned to face Bobby again.

"Where's Nate?"

"He went to follow a lead," he replied. She yawned and stretched a little.

"I'm gonna try and catch up on a few hours sleep," Serena informed him.

"You look like you haven't slept in a while," Bobby commented. She nodded and Bobby led her to a spare cot.

"Wake me up when he gets back?" Bobby agreed and left her to it.

* * *

Nate returned three hours later. Serena awoke when she heard the door slam and quickly hurried downstairs. Her uncle looked up at her and nodded a greeting. He hadn't forgiven her for leaving when she had. She hadn't seen them for just under a month, and to her knowledge they had made no progress.

"We've hit a dead end," Nate said, frustration evident in his voice.

"Maybe we got the wrong Eden," Serena suggested. She moved into the kitchen and got a glass of water. Bobby sat down at the kitchen table and watched as Nate leant against the door frame.

"No, it has to be this one," Nate said stubbornly.

"All the signs point to it," Bobby agreed. They sat in silence, each trying to think where else the weapon could be.

"I could be a lot more helpful if I knew what we were searching for," she stated after a while. "I know a sword, but is this some weird King Arthur deal or is it buried?"

"It's more likely to have become buried over time," Bobby admitted.

"And the EMF isn't helping?"

"Too many electricity cables."

"Of course," Serena said rolling her eyes. It was never easy.

"What was it Cas said exactly?" Bobby asked.

"It will be hidden outside of Eden," Serena remembered. Serena's eyes met Nate's.

"Outside of Eden," she repeated. She knew from Bobby that they had been searching the actual town.

"Oh," Bobby said, he sat still for a second and then got to his feet. "That makes the search a lot bigger. We have w

ork to do."

Serena's phone began to ring and she pulled it out of her pocket quickly, gesturing to the others that she'd be back soon. She left the kitchen and went back upstairs.

"Dean, what is it?"

"Chuck gave us the next chapter," Dean stated. "Lilith is coming to town."

"Oh crap," Serena said. "Should I come back?"

"No, stay where you are. It says you come back, but if you don't then maybe we can change the rest..."

"Dean, what actually happens?"

"She's coming for Sam. Tonight."

"To kill him?"

"If only," Dean replied. "To sleep with him."

"I'm sorry did I hear that right?"

"Yup."

"Why don't you just leave town?"

"We tried. There's a road block. We're stuck. I've left Sam in the motel room; I'm just parking the Impala." She heard Dean secure the parking brake and shut the door behind him.

"This is crazy Dean, there must be some other way to leave town. You know what Sam's like, he'll go after her."

"Not if I can help it," Dean replied. "Hey, hey." He shouted the last part. "Some kids are breaking into my car." The next thing she heard was the squeal of brakes and the phone went dead.

"Dean, Dean! What happened?" Serena shouted, but there was no reply. She rushed downstairs and picked up her backpack.

"Serena, what's going on?" Nate asked when she appeared, he grabbed hold of her wrist to stop her moving.

"I have to go."

"But you just got here."

"Something just happened to Dean," she explained. "And Lilith will be there soon. I have to go help."

"No," Nate stated. "Not happening. If we know Lilith is there, then we have the perfect opportunity to find the sword. You are staying and you are helping. They are big boys."

"You can't tell me what to do," Serena snapped. Bobby came into the room.

"Did I just hear you say Lilith is after Sam and Dean?"

"Sam actually. Something is very wrong there."

"Then your uncle is right," Bobby stated. "We have to act now. Dean will look after Sam."

Serena ignored them and jogged to her Celica. Two hours into her drive her phone started to ring again.

"Dean?" she said, picking up her cell.

"Yeah I'm okay. Minivan. You haven't left yet have you?"

"How did you know-"

"It's in the script."

"Oh right, well yeah, of course I did. I'm about three hours out. Two if I put my foot down." Dean sighed.

"Fine. Look Chuck is a prophet, not a psychic..."

"What?"

"Cas stopped by. Chuck is recording the Winchester Testament." Serena stifled a laugh. It sounded ridiculous. "It means that what he's written is set in stone."

"So Lilith and Sam?"

"It's going ahead."

"I'll be there soon."

* * *

Serena pulled into the motel parking lot. She had completed the journey a lot faster than she had that morning. The Impala was a sad sight in the space next to hers. There was tarp where the back windscreen should have been. It must have happened when the kids had been breaking in. It upset her. She got out of her car quickly and saw Dean by a vending machine talking to Cas. She hurried over. When she got closer she saw that looks on their faces weren't friendly.

"I'm sorry," Cas was saying.

"Screw you. Screw your mission. Your God. If you don't help me now, then when the time comes and you need me...don't bother knocking."

"What's going on?" Serena asked. Dean shook his head at her and walked away. Castiel wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Dean," Cas said softly. "Dean!"

"What!" Dean snapped.

"You must understand why I can't intercede. Prophets are special. They're protected."

"I get that," Dean growled. Serena stood feeling very awkward.

"If anything threatens a prophet, anything at all... an archangel will appear to destroy that threat." Serena frowned. It sounded like Cas was spelling something out. "Archangels are fierce. They're absolute. They're heavens most terrifying weapon."

"And these archangels are tied to prophets?"

"Yes," Castiel replied. Dean stepped forward.

"So if a prophet was in the same room as a demon..." Serena understood where he was going.

"Then the most fearsome wrath of heaven would rain down on that demon. Just so you understand why I can't help." Cas looked at the sky for emphasis. Serena grinned, this was a brilliant plan.

"Thanks Cas," Dean said.

"Good luck." Dean didn't hesitate, he grabbed Serena's hand and dragged her to the Impala.

"Hello to you too," Serena said as she slammed the Impala door shut. Dean started the engine and turned to face her.

"Hello Serena, glad you could make it after I told you not to."

"Hey, it was written, who am I to argue?" She joked. Dean smirked slightly and reversed out of the parking space.

* * *

"What are you doing here? I didn't write this," Chuck demanded as Dean and Serena stormed through his front door. "Serena you're back."

"You knew I would be," she replied in an annoyed tone. "You should have just said, would have saved me some fuel."

"Come on. I need you to come with me," Dean interjected. He grabbed Chuck and pulled him to his feet.

"What, where?"

"What do you think Chucky boy," Serena said.

"The motel, where Sam is."

"That's where Lilith is," Chuck said, shrinking back.

"Yeah and I need you to stop her."

"Are you insane?" He asked, shrugging out of Dean's grip. "Lilith? I know what she's capable of Dean. I wrote her."

"Alright listen to me. You have an archangel tethered to you, okay? All you gotta do is show up and boom." Chuck jumped as Dean punched his fist into his palm. "Lilith gets smoked."

"You'll be safe Chuck," Serena said calmly. "This archangel lives to protect you."

"But I haven't seen that yet... the story..."

"This is real life, haven't you realised yet?" Serena snapped, her patience gone.

"Chuck you're the only shot that I've got left," Dean stated.

"But I'm just a writer."

"This isn't a story anymore, man," Dean reiterated Serena's point. "This is real. And you're in it." Dean put his hand on Chuck's shoulder. "Now I need you to get off your ass and fight." Chuck moved away from him, to between Dean and Serena. "Come on Chuck."

"No frigging way." Dean glanced at Serena. She nodded and took a swing at him.

* * *

At the motel, Sam heard a knock at the door. He cautiously went towards it and opened it slowly. He was surprised to find that nobody was there. Shutting the door, he turned around and came face to face with a blonde woman.

"Hello, Sam," she greeted calmly. Sam's face screwed up with hatred.

"I've been waiting for you." The blonde's eyes rolled back to show their demonic white.

"Where's the knife, Sam?" Lilith asked.

"On the nightstand by the bed," Sam told her. Lilith turned and walked towards it, pausing at the edge of a red fluffy rug. She knelt down and pulled it back to reveal a devils trap. She looked annoyed, but simply touched two fingers to it and burnt a part of the symbol out, breaking its power. Sam looked a little less sure of himself. Lilith stood and faced him.

"You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that," she said.

"How about this," Sam replied, stretching his hand out towards the demon. A gust of wind appeared out of nowhere and ruffled Lilith's blonde locks. Lilith didn't flinch. Sam tried harder, but nothing happened. He dropped his hand.

"You're strong," Lilith conceded. "But you're not that strong. Not yet."

"So why don't you throw me around then?" Sam challenged.

"Because I can't and you know it," Lilith said in an annoyed tone. Sam looked smug. "You're immune to my charms." She walked towards him. "Seems we're at a stalemate."

"Why are you here?" Sam demanded.

"To talk," she replied simply. Sam scoffed.

"Yeah, well I'm not interested." Lilith walked around him.

"Even if I'm offering to stand down?" Now that got Sam's attention. "From the seals, the apocalypse...all of it?"

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Honestly? No," she replied. "You were always the smart one. But it's the truth. You can end it Sam. Right here, right now." Sam looked at the floor in confusion. "I'll stop breaking the seals, Lucifer keeps rotting in his cage. All you have to do is agree to my terms."

"Why would you back down? Why now?" Lilith walked away from him again.

"Turns out I don't survive this war," she stated. "Killed off right before the good part starts."

"What do you want?" Sam demanded.

"For it to go back to the way it was," she said simply. "Before I had angels to deal with 24/7. The good old days, when it was all baby blood, all the time." She looked happy just reminiscing about it.

"And what do you want in return?" Sam asked.

"Your head on a stick," Lilith said casually. Sam laughed without humour. "Dean's too. And Serena's. Call it a consolation prize. So what do you say Sam?" She looked him up and down. "Self-sacrifice is the Winchester way isn't it?"

"You really think I'm stupid enough to fall for this?"

"I make a deal I have to follow through. Those are the rules and you know it," Lilith snapped. "Are you really so arrogant that you would put your life before the lives of 6 billion innocent people?" Sam looked uncomfortable. "Maybe it's all that demon blood pumping through your pipes. A man after my own heart."

"You think I'm like you?" Sam asked sharply. "I am nothing like you."

"Then prove it," Lilith challenged. She stepped backwards. "Going once..." She walked towards the bed. "Going twice..."

"Fine," Sam snapped.

"Swell," the demon smiled. "By the way, a contract with me will take more than a kiss." Sam frowned. "A lot more." She sat on the edge of the bed and patted the covers seductively. "Don't worry, the dental hygienist in here? She wants it bad." Sam walked over to her, stopping just in front of her. She rubbed her hand up his leg. He laid her on the bed and leaned down to kiss her. Instead he grabbed the knife from the nightstand and angled it at her. She stopped it before it struck her, turning so that she was on top. The door crashed open and Chuck stumbled in, obviously pushed by Dean. Serena followed through behind him.

"Sam?" Serena said in a shocked tone.

"I am the prophet Chuck," Chuck announced.

"You've got to be joking," Lilith said, getting off the bed. The entire room started shaking.

"Oh this is no joke," Dean replied. "You see, Chuck here's got an archangel on his shoulder. You got about 10 seconds before this room is full of wrath and you're a piece of charcoal." Serena sidled across the room to Sam. She dragged him to his feet. "Sure you wanna tangle with that?" Lilith looked them all in the eye and opened her mouth. Her demonic self poured through the dental hygienists mouth and through the window between the two beds. The girl fell to the floor; Serena rushed over to check for a pulse. The room stopped shaking. Sam sat back on the bed.

"She's got a pulse," Serena said, breaking the silence. No one said anything.

* * *

Serena sat at a bar table with Dean. They were taking a night off from heaven and hell. Sam had decided to stay back at the motel, or so they thought – he had actually gone off with Ruby. Serena took a sip out of the bottle of beer she had been cradling. Her face split into an uncomfortable grin as she realised Dean was staring at her.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" Dean shook his head.

"We haven't done this for so long."

"Had a beer?" Serena joked. "Think you'll find we do that most nights." He rolled his eyes and took her hand.

"No genius, I mean this. Just me and you in a bar, without a case, without Sammy." Serena thought back quickly.

"Not since before...before you left," she still didn't know what to say: before Dean had died? Before he went to hell? They were painful words for both Dean and Serena.

"Right," Dean agreed. "We should do it more often."

"I'm not sure either upstairs or downstairs will give us a night off again for a while," Serena replied sadly. She squeezed his hand. Both of their tones suggested they felt a deadline approaching again. This time they didn't know what the outcome would be and if anything that made it more painful to dwell on. "Get another round in then." Dean smiled and got off of his stool. Serena used the time he was at the bar to assess the room. She had already checked it out with her hunters gaze when they had first walked in, but now she paid attention to the other patrons. There was a huddle of men around the pool table, probably playing a mini tournament. At the back of the bar sat a man on his own, which would normally not stand out to Serena, but it didn't seem right to her. Not in this bar. Keeping the concern off of her face, she turned back to see Dean bringing two more beers to their table. She grinned at him and accepted the bottle he handed over.

"Could get used to this," she joked. Dean mocked a bow and sat back down heavily. "You okay?"

"Just dandy," he replied. "No shop talk remember. Night off." Serena smiled calmly.

"Come on Dean, what's wrong?"

"When did our lives get so messed up?" She gave him a long look. "Fine, more messed up."

"I can tell you the exact date, Dean," She countered. He nodded.

"I don't feel like we're hunting anymore," he stated. Serena understood what he meant. They rarely dealt with ghosts or any of the usual suspects when there was no angelic or demonic involvement. It was all demons, all seals, all the time. It was a much darker world, even by their standards.

"We're still saving people," she told him honestly. "I don't know why we're at the front of the battle, but we are. We just have to do the best we can."

"I worried about Sam," Dean revealed. "We're not on the same page anymore." Serena nodded.

"I'll see what I can do," she promised. Sam probably wouldn't open up to her, but it was worth a try. Serena's gaze fell back to the man at the back of the bar. He was openly looking at them. She stood up, deciding to go over to him. Dean watched her in confusion. "He's been watching us."

"I'm not surprised Rena," Dean commented. "You're the only woman in here." Serena pulled a face at him, when she looked back the man had gone. Her eyes widened and she looked at Dean quickly.

"I knew there was something wrong," she snapped. "So much for a night off."

"More importantly, which side was it?" Dean said aloud.

* * *

Three weeks later, Serena was hurrying to her car, Dean had just called her, informing her that someone claiming to be John Winchester's son had dialled John's cell. She could predict his reaction even before his voice became tinged with anger. It was below the belt even for demons. When she had told Bobby he had seemed just as surprised as Dean and Sam had been. It made Serena question just how well Bobby had known John. She had assumed quite well, but then who could tell when it came to hunters? He and Nate had agreed that she should go stop Dean acting irrationally. It was a long drive north for Serena, it would take the majority of the day to get to Minnesota, and so she put her foot down as soon as she left the quiet street. She drove without stopping until she needed to get gas for her Celica. She filled it up and grabbed some food from the shop.

Over the last few weeks, she had paid close attention to the people around her, looking for anyone that was paying her any undue attention. She had ordered Dean to do the same. Something was up, and they didn't know if it was angel or demon, but either way they knew it wouldn't be good. She sat back in her car after paying and put it in gear, before thinking twice and going to the restroom. It was located in the diner attached to the gas station. It was empty so Serena went straight towards the mirror and checked out her appearance. She looked tired. She splashed some cold water on her face and made sure her mascara hadn't run. When she was satisfied that it hadn't, she used the facilities. She washed her hands, looking down at them whilst doing so. As she glanced up, she noticed something behind her. Thick black smoke circled at eyelevel and before she could react it flew at her.

* * *

**Cliffhanger!**


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

* * *

Serena had never felt so trapped in her life. She was a prisoner in her own body. As soon as the demon had taken over in the restroom, she had known that it was Lilith. It made sense; she knew how desperate Lilith had been to want to make a deal with Sam. It didn't make it any easier to be the one that was possessed. It made her angry that she didn't have the same tattoo as the Winchesters did. That was the first thing she would do if she got out of this situation. She tried to force Lilith out of her, to try and reclaim the use of her limbs, but it was harder than she could possibly have imagined. She used to think her will was strong enough to get her out of any situation, but she had underestimated the strength of demons, especially Lilith. It also angered her that Lilith could sift through her memories and get information from them. Of course Lilith focused of Sam and Dean. Serena did manage to block some memories without the demon knowing, but only by offering up memories to replace them.

Lilith had walked Serena's body straight back to her Celica and carried on towards Windom Minnesota, just like Serena had been doing. It scared her, she was worried for Dean. He wouldn't know it wasn't her. She gathered that Lilith had decided to drive the whole way instead of just appearing there because without her Celica, the Winchesters would get suspicious.

* * *

The rest of the journey took 7 hours. Lilith drove even faster than Serena, she drove recklessly, probably because it wouldn't kill the demon if they crashed. She spotted the Impala parked outside of a diner called Cousin Oliver's; Lilith parked up next to it and got out. Serena tried her hardest to get control of her body, but it only made Lilith chuckle.

"Give it a rest, Serena," Lilith told her. "I'm not leaving until I have what I want." Serena swore at her, making her laugh again. She turned around and checked her reflection in the window of the Celica. "I may have to do something about this hair."

"Hey," Dean greeted Serena when she walked into the diner. She smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

"Hey baby," Lilith replied. "Did you meet him yet?" It unnerved Serena that Lilith knew what they had spoken about before. Dean nodded.

"Yeah, he's not a demon or shape shifter. I'm stumped."

"He could be the real deal you know," Lilith suggested lightly. He glared at her. "I know it's unlikely..." Dean took a sip from his drink. He was dressed in a suit, but his tie was loosened. He blew out a breath and stared at the tablecloth.

"I suppose it shouldn't surprise me so much," he mused. "Just another thing dad didn't tell us." Lilith nodded but didn't say anything.

"We can always leave," Lilith said after a while. "I know a great place we could go to..." Dean couldn't tell if she was serious.

"A couple of hours ago and I would have," Dean sighed, deciding to respond anyway.

"What's changed?" He shrugged in response, glancing at the big clock on the wall.

"I should get back to them." He stood up and looked at Serena expectantly when she stayed seated.

"I don't think I should get involved," she said lightly. "I'll be here if you need me, but I have something to investigate not far from here." He nodded and walked out.

* * *

Lilith drove the Celica to a neighbouring town, parked up and then the next thing Serena knew the scenery changed. No longer were they in a small little town, they were in the living room of a very fancy house. Lilith wasted no time; she jogged up the stairs and into what appeared to the master bedroom. She pulled open the door to the walk-in closet and examined the clothing. Serena was not happy with the choice. Lilith stripped off the jeans and plaid shirt that Serena had been wearing and dropped them on the floor in disgust. She inspected Serena's body and pulled on the skin-tight black pants and a revealing dark blue lacy top. To complete the ensemble, Lilith put on the highest heels in the closet.

"Much better," Lilith said. She went back downstairs and sat down at the dining table. Words flowed through Serena's lips that she had never heard before, but she quickly understood what they meant. Other figures filed into the room and took seats at the dining table. They looked at her suspiciously, but once they had all taken their seats, Lilith rolled her eyes back to reveal the demon within.

"The plan worked then?" the demon closest to Serena's left asked, eying up Serena's body. Lilith's mind went over the plan, horrifying the hunter.

"It's under way," Lilith replied. Serena knew that Lilith hadn't told them her true plan, knowing they would object. "Are we any closer to completion?"

"49 seals have been broken," a demon wearing a teenage girl stated.

"Good," Lilith said. "I expect you to continue while I see this through. Now bring in our guests." Serena was horrified to see five small children being guided into the room, each of them wearing a matching mask of fear. She could tell they didn't understand what was going on, but they were terrified. What the hell was Lilith planning? She thought back over the things she knew about Lilith, remembering the poor family that Lilith had tortured before Dean had been sent to hell.

"Lilith, don't you dare hurt these children," Serena ordered voicelessly. Lilith ignored her and told the other demons to leave. She gestured for the children to sit at the table. She could also feel the strange thrill that Lilith was feeling, it disgusted her.

"Eenie, Meenie, Minie Mo..." Lilith sang, pointing at each of the children. She ended on the smallest child, a girl who couldn't be older than four. What happened next made Serena vow to kill Lilith. It made her want to do something similar to what Dean did to Alastair.

* * *

During the time that passed, Bobby and Nate were still in Eden, Texas searching for the sword. Since Serena's departure they had had more luck in their quest. Now that they were focused on the surrounding land outside of Eden they felt a renewed sense of purpose. Bobby managed to get his hands on a turbo charged EMF device that he believed was strong enough to locate the sword even after all the time it had been in the earth.

"There must be something we're missing," Nate muttered on the afternoon of the third day. "Something that's as powerful as this is supposed to be wouldn't lie quietly."

"I couldn't find anything in the town archives that sounds related," Bobby told him.

"Look again, trembling earth, forests growing over night, lightening trap..." Nate stated. He was fed up, as was Bobby, and they were beginning to grate on each other.

* * *

The first thing Dean did when he left the motel room after arguing with Sam was to call Serena. When she didn't answer, he kicked the side of the Impala. It didn't make him feel better and now his foot hurt. This case was so much more messed up than any others he had ever worked on. Dean left Sam and Adam in the motel room and searched for any leads he could think of. The first place he visited, after renting a suit, was the police station. He claimed to be Agent Young from the FBI. The detectives at the station were helpful, they gave him access to the files on Kate Milligan's death and the grave robbing information he requested. He slumped back into the Impala and started going through the files. His phone began to ring.

"Serena?"

"Who else," she greeted silkily. "How's the case?"

"It's insane Rena," Dean told her. "I don't know what to do. He seems legit. I don't know, Sam wants to bring him into our world."

"D'you want me to come save the day?" Dean sighed.

"No, no," he said. "I just needed to hear your voice."

"Call me as soon as you've finished your case," Lilith told him. "We can ditch Sammy for a night or two."

"That sounds unbelievably great," Dean replied, hanging up afterwards.

* * *

The phone call to Dean had hurt Serena more than seeing him had. He had sounded so lost, and she couldn't do anything to help him. What's more, Lilith had promised him some sort of romantic break. She began trying with all of her will to gain some control over her body. It took a lot out of her and it only gained a few seconds, but it was enough time for her to tell whoever Lilith intended to kill to run as far away as possible. In the time that it took her to build up her will power, she kept mentally shouting as loud as she could at Lilith to distract her. Her rebellions were small but it kept her from despairing. She knew that eventually Lilith would go after Dean and Sam. She was surprised Lilith hadn't tried when she had visited Dean at the diner. The thought terrified her. Lilith had learnt enough about Serena's behaviour from her memories that Dean may not notice until it was too late. Lilith was careful not to do anything that might reveal any important information to Serena. This infuriated Serena, but occasionally, when Lilith was having too much fun, the demon's mental block lessened. Serena began to find ways of reading the demon's plans.

Lilith seemed to enjoy doing the things that tortured Serena the most. One of the things that she particularly liked to do was seduce men with Serena's body, lure them back to their houses and eventually kill them. That was when she wasn't tormenting children. Serena distanced herself as much as possible, closing her mind as much as she could. It wasn't enough. She could still feel everything, see everything, it was still her hand committing the murders, but she just wasn't in control.

* * *

"The woods," Bobby said suddenly. Nate looked over at him from the driver's seat of Bobby's car. Bobby had a book open in front of him. Nate waited impatiently for him to continue.

"The woods…?"

"The woods outside of Eden... In the biblical sense, it's a paradise: the Garden of Eden," Bobby expanded. "There's an apple orchard out that way."

"The woods," Nate replied in a more confident voice. It sounded way too obvious, but it was the first real lead they had. He turned around on the road they were on and headed towards it.

* * *

Dean rushed Sam to the nearest hospital after their encounter with the ghouls. He was worried about the amount of blood Sam had lost; he was turning a rather nasty white. The older Winchester tried to dodge as many questions as he could, but the doctors were suspicious of Sam's wrist cuts, assuming it was self harm. He explained that they had been attacked. They had given Sam a blood transfusion as soon as they had assessed his condition. Now Sam was sitting on a bed in a treatment room while Dean was standing in the corridor arguing with the doctors.

"I'm sorry sir, but its procedure to bring in a professional to assess-"

"It wasn't a suicide attempt, just give him some meds and we'll leave," Dean snapped. He glared at the petite doctor in front of him, who nodded.

"We can't by law keep him against his will," she allowed. She prescribed Sam some B12 tablets and changed the dressings on his wounds. Dean led his brother out of the hospital as quickly as he could, but the paperwork slowed him down. He drove them to the motel to check out and they hit the road. He tried ringing Serena's cell to arrange a meeting but couldn't get hold of her. Making a split second decision, he headed towards Texas, where he knew Bobby and Nate were. Perhaps Serena had started back there already. Sam needed a place to rest for a few days, and that seemed like the perfect place. Bobby could keep an eye on him while Dean took Serena up on her offer. He said as much on Serena's voice mail and waited for her to ring him back. She did within minutes, telling him to meet her at Bobby's instead as it was closer.

* * *

Dean called Bobby again after he arrived at the older hunter's house. Within an hour Serena had turned up and they sat in Bobby's living room. Dean looked at Serena's outfit; he looked confused, but grinned appreciatively when she told him she had been undercover. Sam was crashed out in Bobby's spare room upstairs. Dean had decided that he didn't want to talk about it; he needed to forget about the whole nasty situation. Instead he pulled Serena closer to him. She seemed to pick up on his thoughts.

"We could stop hunting, just go somewhere far away, like Greece, and just live. Mexico even. Get out of this bitch of a war. Dean, there are other people that can fight." Dean stopped kissing her neck and looked at her, his head titled to the side in confusion.

"Why?"

"What are the chances of us both getting out alive and Sam as well?" She sighed. "If we could just stop hunting, leave it all behind us." Dean looked her squarely in the eyes.

"We can't Serena, you know-"

"All I know is that the angels think you can stop Lilith and put an end to the apocalypse. Really Dean? How are you gonna do that? Let's just leave! Swear to me now that we will just walk away. Deal?" She kissed him hard and started unbuttoning his shirt. "I just want to go far away Dean; it's too much for me." She whispered in his ear. He responded, pulling the lacy top over her head, but then seemed to come to his senses. He pushed her off of his lap and stared at her in silence.

"What's happened to you?" He stood up and reached into his bag, grabbing his gun. She sat on the floor in confusion, but then stood up, trying to cover more of her torso as if suddenly uncomfortable in just her bra and jeans. Dean pointed the gun at Serena.

"See I thought something was up when you wanted us to leave Windom, but I let it slide. Assumed you wanted some down time. But Serena would never give up and run away."

"Dean. What are you talking about, I'm Serena," she pleaded, her hands held in front of her. "I know this week's been traumatic…" He kept the gun trained on her and reached into his bag again. He found his hipflask and flipped the lid. In one fluid motion he sprayed Serena with the Holy Water. She screamed and stepped back.

"You son of a bitch," Dean spat. "Get the hell out of her now." Serena's eyes watered from shock and fear, making him start to think he had gotten it wrong, that the water had just been cold. He was about to lower his weapon when Serena's entire expression changed.

"Oopsie," she said. Her eyes rolled back to reveal white demon eyes. "You're more perceptive than I gave you credit for."

"Lilith," Dean growled, his finger twitched on the trigger.

"Oh please Dean, you wouldn't dare shoot this body," Lilith drawled. "Not my usual choice, too… Well never mind. Right now it's the safest place to be."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to make a deal."

"So when Sam wouldn't bite, you came crawling to me?"

"I should have started with you; you're the one in charge, your brother's keeper. I thought I'd make it as easy as possible for you." She gestured at the body again.

"You've invaded Serena to make it easier?" She laughed.

"Dean, making deals with me, it's more…intense than other deals."

"Sam told me. I'm not getting freaky with a demon."

"I had hoped to trick you into it, but we can talk terms. It's a good deal if you bothered to listen," Lilith replied, walking closer to him. "Better than what I offered Sammy. You and Serena are free to leave if you never hunt again. We won't come after you. Heck I'll even stop with the seals. I don't want to die." Lilith could tell he was tempted by the offer. He rubbed a hand over his mouth and chin with his free hand.

"What about Sam?"

"Well…I still want his head gift wrapped."

"That's the deal breaker right there," Dean spat.

"Oh Dean, you Winchester's are destined to die, why not like this? Sam would die protecting people. There are worse ways to go."

"No, you bitch," he snapped. It felt very surreal to have this conversation with Serena. He pulled the trigger and shot Serena in the shoulder with rock-salt. Serena's eyes were wide with Lilith's shock. "Leave before I exorcise your skanky demon ass."

"You wouldn't shoot again," she stated, sounding less sure of herself. She let her shoulders droop. "Dean? Oh god, Dean. You have to kill me. This is your one chance to kill Lilith." Dean tilted his head again and pouted slightly.

"Serena? How...?"

"There's no time. Kill me, Dean. She wants me to tell you to make the deal. But I won't." She screamed in pain as Lilith did something to her. Dean took a step towards her, but paused. Was this a trick? He let off another shot, this time hitting her square in the chest.

"It's only salt; hurts you a hell of a lot more than it hurts Serena's body," Dean explained. He wracked his brain for the words needed for the exorcism. Lilith straightened up and waved her hand, sending him flying into the wall and pinning him there.

"Fine," she stated. "I can't make you seal the deal, but I can kill you myself. And I can torture this body. In fact I'm happy in the stupid meat sack. Maybe I'll move in permanently." Dean couldn't see a way out of this. It was times like these he wished that the angels did keep a closer eye on what was happening. He screwed his face up in pain at the pressure on his chest. He closed his eyes as Lilith revealed her white eyes again and smiled sadistically. This was the end. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes slowly. His surroundings were not the room he had been in. He looked around quickly, dropping to his feet. It looked a lot more like the abandoned barn he had been in when Serena had returned. He saw a familiar face.

"Anna? Am I dead?"

"Dean, we don't have much time. I can't appear to you, Lilith is too powerful even for me. But you can use this," the angel touched Dean on the forehead. "Chant this three times. You need to use some blood as well."

"What is it?"

"Prehistoric magic, it's powerful. Powerful enough to blow Lilith out of Serena. It won't send her to hell though. Be careful." Dean blinked and found himself pinned against the wall in the living room at Bobby's. It seemed like Lilith had not moved. He must have passed out. Dean didn't waste another moment; he chanted the strange words that Anna had put in his head. The words felt strange on his tongue, but the effect was immediate. The pressure on his body stopped abruptly and Dean had time to cut his palm and draw the symbol Anna had shown him. Dark smoke rushed out of every pore of Serena's being and flew straight out of the window. Both Serena and Dean dropped to the floor. He crawled towards her. He could see where the rock salt had hit her. She opened her eyes slightly and found his. Her hand reached up and touched his face.

"You okay?" she whispered. Dean rolled his eyes.

"Are you?" She let out a rough chuckle.

"Never better," She lied, pulling herself into a sitting position on the floor. She cringed as the salt stung in her wounds. Looking down she realised her clothing predicament, which made her frown.

"How long…?" Dean asked.

"I don't know, bitch caught me off guard. I was half way to meeting you."

"That was about 2 weeks ago. Do you remember any of it?"

"No," she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I just remember the smoke coming at me. Was it Lilith?" Dean nodded, looking at her closely.

"I don't suppose you got a look inside her head?" He asked after a while. She opened her eyes and shook her head.

"Sorry. Look, can we talk later? I need to sleep." she asked as a yawn interrupted her. "And have some food. I feel like I've not eaten for months." Dean grinned at her and pulled her to her feet. He passed her a t-shirt out of his bag, which she put on gratefully. Then he led her to Bobby's kitchen and went upstairs to check on Sam. Serena rustled up a sandwich and began to wolf it down. She turned to lean her back on the kitchen cabinet and jumped when she saw Zachariah standing in front of her.

"You did the right thing," he informed her. "Lying to Dean like that." She glared at him.

"I'm so glad that you approve," she snapped, putting her sandwich on the counter.

"Now you understand what we're up against," Zachariah stated, smirking at her tone. His facial expressions annoyed Serena more than any other persons ever had.

"That's an exaggeration," she replied.

"You're in a unique position, Serena," he pretended that she hadn't spoken. "You are privy to some delicate information. All I'm here to do is suggest how you use it."

"Let me guess, you want me to tell you everything, tell Dean nothing and pretend like everything is peachy?"

"You have a gift of summing things up," the angel replied, smiling.

"It's true then?"

"That part is, yes," Zach stated.

"I won't be able to hide it for long," Serena reminded him.

* * *

**So, what do you think?  
**


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